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OUISIANA 



PRODUCTS 



Resources ^ Attractions, 



SKETCH OF THE PARISHES. 



k HAND BOOK OF RELIABLE INFORMATION 
CONCERNING THE STATE. 



PUBLISHED FOR THE STATE BY 

t^t'^l. n- :h:-a.:r:ris, 

STATE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE AND IMMIGRATION. 
(Office State House, New Orleans, La. ) 



Seaa-t ITree on ^Receipt of © ceirits 3?osta,g-e, 



NEW ORLEANS: 

NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT PRINT, 58 CAMP ST. 

1881. 

O0 







Louisiana Bureau of Agriculture and Immigration. 



SAMUEL DOUG-LASS MeENERY, G-overiior 

"WILL. A, STRONG-, Secretary of State 

"WM. H. HARRIS, - ...... Comissioner 



LOUISIANA. 



AEEA, 43,000 SQUARE MILES. 



GOVERNOR, SAMUEL DOUGLAS McENERY.. 



CAPITAL, BATON EOCTGE. 



OFFICIAL CENSUS, 18SO-TOTAL, 940,263. 



TOTAL. 



940,263 



MALE. 



468,911 



FEMALE. 



471,352 



NATIVE. 



5,119 



FOREIGN, 



54,144 



WHITE. COLORED. 



455,063 485,200 



DESCRIPTION. 
The State is situated in the southwestern part of the 
United States of North America, between the parallels^ 
of 28° 50' and 33° north latitude, and between the 
meridians 88° 40' and 94° 10' west from Greenwich. 

It is bounded on the north by Arkansas and Mississippi, 
on parallels 33° and 31°, east by Mississippi, south by the 
Gulf of Mexico, and west by the State of Texas; the 
Mississippi and Pearl rivers forming the boundary line om 
the east, and the Sabine river on the west. 

The Mississippi river winds through the State for a, 
distance of 800 miles, and is navigable for 2000 miles, to, 
St. Anthony's Falls. It empties into the Gulf of Mexico 
105 miles south of New Orleans, which is the principaL 
commercial city of the South, and the largest cotton mart 
in the world — shipping about one-third the cotton crop of 
the United States. 

The bar at the mouth of the Mississippi river was a, 
serious obstacle to the vast commerce of this port, until, 
the triumph of the jetty system opened a channel to the 
depth of thirty feet. The largest ships now pass through 



LOUISIANA. 



without detention up to the city of New Orleans, where 
they both deliver and receive their cargoes directly at the 
wharf. 

The State is traversed by many other navigable streams, 
the principal of which are the Red, the Ouachita, Atcha- 
falaya, Vermilion, Calcasieu, Amite, Tchefuncta and 
Tangipahoa, and Bayous Baritaria, Lafourche, Macon, 
Des Glaize and many others, giving thousands of miles of 
natural inland water-way for steamboats. The coast-line 
bordering the G-ulf of Mexico is 1256 miles long, and the 
Mississippi river and its tributaries bear away through 
Louisiana the products of fourteen great States to the 
commercial centres of the world, among which New Or- 
leans holds a commanding position. 

The State contains about (26,000,000) twenty-six mil- 
lion acres of land and (1,250,000) one and a quarter 
million acres of inland water surface. 

TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES. 

The land is nearly equally divided into hilly and level 
lands. 

The lands of the State, may be approximately divided 
as follows : 

Good upland (5,250,000) five and a quarter million 
acres. 

Pine hills (5,500,000) five and a half million acres. 

Bluff lands (1,500,000) one and a half million acres. 

Prairie (2,500,000) two and a half million acres. 

Arable alluvial (3,500,000) three and a half million 
acres. 

Wooded alluvial (2,750,000) two and three-quarter 
million acres. 

Pine flats (1,500,000) one and a half million acres. 

Coast-marsh (3,500,000) three and a half million acres. 

The alluvial lands border the Mississippi river and 
other streams and bayous. In the spring the river is in 
many places higher than its natural banks, but is confined 
to the channel by artificial embankments called levees. 

The highlands approach the river only at four points: 



TOPOGBAPHIGAL FEAT.UEES. 



Tunica, Bayou Sara, Fort Hudson and Baton Rouge. 
Thus the stranger traveling by steamboat on the Missis- 
sippi river receives the erroneous impression that Louisi- 
ana is a low, flat country, and the story has gone out to 
the world, with a thousand other mythical reports, to mis- 
inform the public. The descriptive scenery of Louisiana 
as seen in the average geography or illustrated periodical 
is a stereotyped burlesque. Her cypress swamps are not 
the deadly morasses they are represented to be, while the 
valuable timber in which they abound is a growing source 
of wealth to the State and the whole country. With 
half of the money spent in draining the low lands in the 
older Eastern States, a large portion of her marsh lands 
would afford healthy and pleasant homes, while their 
productiveness would be largely increased. 

In truth, no part of the United States is more replete 
with varied and beautiful scenery than Louisiana. 

Her sluggish streams are confined to the alluvial lands, 
which represent less than one-sixth of her area, while 
portions of the State reach an altitude of five hundred 
feet above the sea level. Here are limpid streams of 
living water, racing over rocks, pebbles and sand, and 
pouring into the gulf a wealth of power, for the manufac- 
turer has not bound them to his wheels. 

The coast-marsh alone is subject to tidal overflow from 
the gulf. More than one-half the alluvial land is protected 
by levees, and the area subject to overflow by the annual 
rise in the river is only about one-ninth of the surface 
of the State. The arable alluvial lands are the richest 
in the world. Fields cultivated for one hundred years 
without manure are still fertile. There is comparatively 
very little barren land in the State. In fertility the lands 
succeed the alluvian in the following order : Bluff, 
Prairie, Good Uplands, Pine Hills and Pine Flats. Re- 
claimed coast-marsh is unsurpsssed in fertility, yielding 
as much as seventy-five bushels of rice per acre. 

MINERALS. 

Petroleum, coal, sulphur, soda, iron, gypsum, lime, 



4 • LOUISIANA. 



ochre, marl and rock-salt are found in the State, but 
only the last has been developed. 

Avery's Island, near New Iberia, covers a quarry of 
solid rock-salt as white as marble, and containing 
more than ninety-nine one-hundredths of sodium chloride, 
almost absolutely pure salt. The mining of this salt is in 
successful operation. The extent of the deposit is not 
known, but it is supposed to be inexhaustible. 

There has been only a partial geological survey of the 
State, and its mineral resources are comparatively un- 
known, and no attempt to develop them has been made 
since the war; but in no part of the world does the soil 
return to the farmer so great a variety and abundance 
of products for a given amount of labor. 

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. 

The principal agricultural products of the State are 
cotton, sugar, tobacco, corn, oats and potatoes. Rice also 
is now one of the staple crops of the State, and is in- 
creasing in acreage each year. Other cereals are not 
generally cultivated for stock, as the wild grasses and 
cane suffice. The fruits which flourish in the State 
are the orange, citron, lemon, shaddock, mespilus, apple, 
pear, peach, plum, grape, strawberry and numerous 
other small fruits and berries; a number of them growing- 
wild and without cultivation. All these, including melons 
and vegetables, mature so early as to bring extra prices 
in the Northern markets, where they are shipped by 
railroad. The forests and streams abound in game and 
fish, from which many hunters and fishermen support 
their families. 

In the southern part of the State orange culture is 
both pleasant and profitable, and is increasing each year. 
A few acres set out in oranges will, as soon as they com- 
mence bearing, afford a competence to the farmer. It is 
•customary for the fruit merchant to buy the oranges on 
the tree, and gather them at his own expense. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate is never too hot or too cold for field work. 



CLIMATE. 



Sunstroke is almost unknown, and ice an inch thick is 
seldom seen. In the extreme south of the State frost is 
of rare occurrence. Notwithstanding the length of the 
summer, the heat is much less oppressive than in the 
Northern and Western States. When the newspapers in 
those sections contain a daily record of sunstrokes, under a 
temperature of 100° and more, the thermometer indicates 
several degrees lower in New Orleans, and the nights are 
still cooler, affording refreshing sleep. This is in a great 
-measure due to the proximity of the Gulf, from which 
southern winds prevail during the summer, refreshing 
the entire State. 

Notwithstanding a large portion of Western Louisiana 
is prairie, it is singularly free from protracted droughts, 
which afflict Kansas and other prairie regions. Consump- 
tives from the North find relief in the "piney woods" of 
Louisiana. Two crops per year can be grown on the 
same ground of corn, sorghum, rice and jute, and three 
cuttings of tobacco. Yegetables can be grown every 
month in the year. Cattle, sheep and horses are raised 
in the State with little trouble or expense, and no feeding; 
the only outlay being for salt. Little attention has been 
paid to improved breeds. It is not considered necessary 
to feed stock at any time in this State, except horses and 
mules when at work — the summer range of wild grasses 
is excellent and sufficient. When winter comes on, 
horses, mules, cattle, sheep and hogs find a living in the 
woods and cane-brakes, without shelter, and grown 
animals come out in February fat and sleek. 

CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS. 

There are churches of different denominations in every 
parish in the State;- also a good system of public schools 
maintained by a special tax levied for that purpose. The 
negroes have equal educational advantages with the 
whites, but in separate schools. 

There are fifty-eight parishes in the State, all of which 
have railroad or water communication with commercial 
centres. 



LOUISIANA. 



MARKET FACILITIES. 

The products of the State are generally marketed at 
New Orleans, but can be readily sold at the nearest town 
or village. 

EXPORTS. 

The principal exports of the State are cotton, sugar, rice, 
tobacco, cotton seed oil-cake and meal, lumber, staves, 
hides, moss, vegetables and fruits. 

THE CANNING INDUSTRY. 

The canning of fruits and vegetables is an industry 
scarcely attempted in the State, yet nowhere in the United 
States are offered such variety and perennial abundance. 
The canning of the gulf shrimp is attracting attention, and 
the business is increasing. The extensive oyster-beds along 
the southern coast and bayous invite enterprise. The 
size and flavor of these oyters are unsurpassed. Some of 
them are so large that thev are not merchantable to the 
saloon keepers, who buy by the barrel and sell by the 
dozen. 

IMPORTS. 

The chief imports are coffee, mahogany, Spanish cedar, 
dry goods, hardware, crockery, machinery, malt liquors, 
wine and spirits. 

FACTORIES. 

The principal factories in the State are sugar mills and 
refineries, cotton gins and factories, cotton seed oil mills, 
saw mills, foundries aud machine shops, tobacco and 
moss factories. A company has been organized to 
establish a jute factory in New Orleans. There is ample 
room and great demand for more extensive factories of all 
kinds. Railroad building is active and extensive in the 
State, and the demand for labor in their construction is 
great. 

WATER-POWER. 

Louisiana has some of the finest mill-streams in the 
world, which never freeze. These streams are bordered 



PUBLIC LANDS. 



with fields of the finest cotton which is shipped as "Or- 
leans." Vegetables and grass, for man and beast, remain 
green all the year— health is good, food is cheap, clothing 
light and less "than half the cost of that necessary at the 
North, fire-wood costs nothing; surely the factory should 
come to the cotton field, and save the expenses of com- 
missions, haulings, handlings, transportations, insurances, 
pressing, weighing and re-weighing, shrinkages and many 
others, all of which combined amount to a margin 
which would be a clear profit over that of the Northern 
or European manufacturer of 15 per cent, on the value of 
the cotton. 

SPANISH MOSS. 

The woods yield an annual crop of Spanish moss, the 
gathering of which affords profitable employment to men, 
women and children, and thousands of bales are annually 
shipped North and West to furniture and mattress fac- 
tories. The moss industry affords a promising field for 
the investment of capital in the State. 

PAPER MANUFACTURE. 

The clear waters of many streams near New Orleans 
are pronounced by experts to be unsurpassed for paper 
manufacture. There are many other clear-water streams, 
affording ample power, which permeate the whole State. 

Besides jute, which springs up like "an evil weed," 
the soil of the State grows a hundred other fibrous plants, 
most of them indigenous, and many suited for the manu- 
facture of cordage, textile fabrics, and paper. 

PUBLIC LANDS. 

There are probably (6,000,000) six millions acres 01 
United States lands in the State, subject to entry under 
the Homestead Act and Timber Culture Act. These lands 
are scattered over the entire State, but most of them are 
to be found in the prairies, good uplands, pine hills or 
pine flats. The State owns all the swamp lands within 
her borders, amounting to about 9,000,000 acres. 

Most of these State lands are low and not suitable for 



S LOUISIANA. 



building sites, but they are unsurpassed in fertility. In 
the prairie region they are covered with a fine sod of 
perennial grass, and lie contiguous to the high lands which 
belong to the United States. In the wooded section 
they are covered with pecan, cypress, oak, pine, hickory, 
gum, ash and other timber. 

THE PRICE OF LANDS. 

Immigrants can buy land in nearly every parish in the 
State in quantities to suit them. Unimproved lands in 
the State are worth from twenty-five cents to ten dollars; 
improved lands sell from two dollars per acre to fifty 
dollars, according to location and improvements. Bar- 
gains are offered in lands all over the State; many sugar 
and cotton plantations have sold for one-fourth the cost 
of the improvements. The lands are just as good as ever, 
but the shrinkage in value is due to the scarcity of labor. 

THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY. 

The slaves were freed nearly twenty years ago. Dur- 
ing the existence of slavery the tendency of the Southern 
mind was toward an aristocracy, and immigration was 
not wanted. 

The institution fostered a system of large plantations 
worked by slaves, discouraged the white laborer, and 
lowered his social position. Thus it was that the finest of 
the alluvial lands were then taken up, leveed and re- 
claimed by planters owning large numbers of slaves, who 
could do the heavy work. The pine hills, flats and 
prairies were left to the yeomanry who came into the 
country. Those pioneers who settled the pine hills 
"pitched their tents" in the thousand creek bottoms which 
divide the hills, and with their own hands worked their 
way to wealth — their sons and daughters learned to 
work, and when they married entered lands either "up" 
or "down the creek." Many of them accumulated gradu- 
ally the comforts of home, until a competency was reached. 
To-day these farmers are in a more favorable position than 
many of the original owners of the alluvial places, who 



LANDS GIVEN AWAY. 



failed under the new system of free labor. In many 
instances these plantations have changed hands and are 
successful. Some of the best sugar planters in the State 
are from the North, and many of the former overseers of 
the slaves are the owners of the plantations, and the sons 
of the former owners have in turn become overseers. 

Our people are becoming "Yankeeized;" our sons and 
daughters are brought up to depend upon self, to work 
and to place a value upon the wages of work of every kind. 
The dignity of labor is asserted and admitted by all. The 
children of our oldest and best families do manual labor 
in field or shop, and do not lose caste. 

FREE LOUISIANA. 

There is no State in the Union where the relations 
between labor and capital are more harmonious than in 
Louisiana, and it may be said that there is no country in 
the world where unskilled labor is paid so well. The 
slave being free, the planter no longer fears the advent of 
a more intelligent laborer or farmer. Formerly he was 
regarded as a firebrand, whose contact would inflame the 
passions of the slaves. Now he is welcomed by all classes. 
In many localities in the highlands, where the negroes 
have deserted the cotton plantations and flocked to the 
sugar plantations on the river, the lands have been 
"turned out," and labor is scarce; the owners realizing 
that taxes will in time "eat up" unproductive capital, 
offer every inducement to immigrants, 

LANDS GIVEN AWAY. 

In some instances they will give away to actual settlers 
forty acres of good land, and perfect the title after two 
years of settlement and cultivation of ten or fifteen acres. 
These lands are held at from two to ten dollars per acre, 
and in some instances will make, with good cultivation, 
a bale of cotton to the acre. ' 

HEALTH. 

The health of this State will compare favorably with 
that of any section of the United States. Yellow fever is 



10 LOUISIANA. 



seldom known outside of New Orleans, and notwithstand- 
ing the bad reputation which that much abused city has 
abroad, and the periodical epidemics to which she has 
been subject at intervals in the past, insurance statistics' 
will show that her average death rate is lower than that 
of many Northern cities. 

During the past year (1880) not a single case of yellow 
fever occurred in the city, and it is anticipated that, with 
judicious quarantine regulations and intelligent sanita- 
tion, future epidemics will be avoided. 

DEMAND FOR LABOR. 

There is a continued and increasing demand for agri- 
cultural labor in the State. In making the crop seventy- 
five cents per day is paid in addition to rations of pork, 
meal and flour, a house and garden and fuel, all of which 
are furnished without charge. In harvesting the cotton, 
rice and sugar crops in the fall and winter, the labor is 
pleasant and wages about double. 

THE WESTERN WHEAT HARVESTERS. 

The rice harvest, which commences in August, and the 
sugar making, which usually commences in October, fur- 
nish an excellent opportunity to the harvesters of the 
West, after the grain has been threshed, to visit Louisiana 
and continue their harvest work for one hundred and fifty 
days or more. It is probable that the railroadd would 
grant excursion rates for this purpose. 

THE TENANT SYSTEM. 

In making cotton the tenant system is general. The 
planter furnishing land, mule, feed, implements and every- 
thing necessary to make the crop and prepare it for 
market, and receiving one-half the crop, or one-fourth 
the crop where he only furnishes the land. With sugar 
planters monthly wages are generally paid, although 
some adopt the tenant system with a central mill. Under 
this system the land is leased to the tenant, and his 
cane bought at a fair price. 



ALLUVIAL PAniSHES. U 

THE TOPOGRAPHY AND SOILS OF LOUISIANA. 

The traveler in the Great West must be impressed with 
the uniformity of the landscape. Almost as flat as Holland, 
the vast prairie seems endless as sea or sky, and the eye 
of the immigrant is delighted with the luxuriant crops 
which indicate a rich soil. He forgets that all this beauty 
is located at a long distance from the great distributing 
centres of trade, and that transportation over long lines of 
roads must be paid for before it reaches a market. 

But in Louisiana nature has kindly furnished water 
ways to market through the numerous rivers and bayous, 
which form a net work all over the State and intersect 
each parish. 

With the great Mississippi and its tributaries running 
the whole length of the State and the Gulf of Mexico 
forming the southern boundary, our people can never be 
subject to imposition from the monopoly of transportation 
companies. 

THE ALLUVIAL PARISHES 

are East Carroll, Madison, Tensas, Concordia, Avoyelles, 
Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Ascension, 
Assumption, St. James, St. John and St. Charles. Many 
other parishes in the State contain alluvial lands in their 
borders, together with other formations. These are the 
richest lands in the world, and of unknown depth. Fields 
cultivated for one hundred years without manure are still 
fertile. This division of lands is generally occupied by 
large planters, who hire laborers by the year to make 
their crops of sugar, cotton and rice. 

Most of the cotton planters adopt the tenant system. 
The laborer has no expense except his own provisions, 
and receives one-half the crop as soon as ginned, and dis- 
poses of it to anyone and in any manner he may prefer* 

THE CENTRAL FACTORY SYSTEM 

is growing in popularity with the sugar planters. In 
this system the planter leases his lands to the small 
farmers and buys their cane delivered at the mill for a 



12 LOUISIANA. 



stipulated price. Intelligent white farmers have succeeded 
admirably on this plan, and the planters are now intro- 
ducing white tenants from the West and Europe. The 
largest population of negroes is confined to the alluvial 
districts. The older negroes are docile, tractible and 
good laborers, but the younger generation, which has 
grown up since the war is not so reliable. 

The alluvial lands are of unsurpassed fertility and, 
although some portions are occasionally overflowed, they 
are quickly dried upon the subsidence of the streams. To 
this is due the fact that ague and chills and fever are so 
seldom known to the planter of either large or more 
limited areas. These alluvial lands are a source of con- 
tinual wealth, as no amount of cropping has ever yet 
diminished their fertility. 

THE BLUFF LANDS, 

west of the Mississippi river, are located in Avoyelles, 
West Carroll, Catahoula, Richland, Franklin, Rapides, St. 
Landry and Lafayette, and five small islands that stand 
up in bold relief from the sea-marsh. Those east of the 
Mississippi are found in East and West Feliciana and East 
Baton Rouge. These lands are elevated plains, intersect- 
ed by precipitous ravines and deep gullies, and are very 
fertile. The soil is a fine calcareo-silicious silt, and ranks 
next in fertility to the alluvial. They are easily tilled, 
and retain manure well. Under high cultivation they 
rival the wonderful productions of the alluvial lands. 
The natural forest growth of the bluff lands is very large 
and beautiful, consisting principally of magnolia, beech, 
poplar, holly and the varieties of oak, intertwined with 
grape, muscadine and hundreds of flowering vines, the 
most fragrant of which is the yellow jessamine. The 
virgin soil is covered with dense switch cane, affording 
abundant winter food for all kinds of stock, and numerous 
clear streams water this fair region, making it indeed 
the farmers' paradise. 

PRODUCTS. 

All the products of the State flourish on the bluff lands. 



PRODUCTS. 1$ 



THE GOOD UPLANDS 

are found in the parishes of Caddo, DeSoto, Sabine, 
Bossier, Webster, Red River, Claiborne, Bienville, Union, 
Jackson, Ouachita, Morehouse' and parts of Caldwell, East 
Baton Rouge and East and West Feliciana. These lands 
are from three to five hundred feet above the level of the 
sea. The soil is gray or yellow sandy loam, and very fer- 
tile. It is easily washed, unless cultivated by horizontal 
plowing. The sub-soil is a sandy clay, and retains fertili- 
zers well. 

THE RED LANDS 

of Claiborne, Sabine, Union, Jackson and Webster par- 
ishes come under this head. These lands are on high 
ridges, but more tenacious and not easily washed. They 
are very fine cotton and corn lands, but are especially 
adapted to small grain. The natural forest growth of 
these lands are oaks of different varieties, dogwood, 
beech, sassafras, gum, ash, maple, short-leaf pine, and 
many bushes and grapevines. The parishes named 
under this head all have alluvial lands bordering the 
streams which intersect them, but these are not extensive 
in Bienville, Claiborne, Jackson and Sabine. The lands 
lying on the Red river in the parishes of Bossier, Caddo, 
DeSoto and Red River, and those lying on the Ouachita 
in the parishes of Caldwell, Morehouse and Ouachita are 
said to be the finest cotton lands in the world. There 
are also large tracts of long-leaf pine lands in Bienville, 
Caldwell, Jackson, Ouachita and Sabine, which are in- 
ferior in fertility. 

THE PRODUCTS 

of the good uplands are cotton, corn, rice, potatoes, 
tobacco, oats, wheat, and sugar for home consumption. 
Small grains do well, especially in the famous "red lands." 
Peaches, plums, pears, apples, melons and grapes flourish. 
In Claiborne there are many fine vineyards, and wine of a 
superior quality is made. The good uplands, with 
ordinary cultivation, will produce three-fourths of a bale 
of cotton, twenty-five to thirty bushels of corn, thirty-five 



U LOUISIANA. 



to forty-five bushels of rice, two hundred to four hundred 
bushels of potatoes, or three-fourths of a hogshead of 
sugar. With fertilizers and good cultivation these fig- 
ures may be doubled. 

THE GREAT PRAIRIE REGION. 
Professor S. H. Lockett, says: "This, to me at least, is 
the most pleasing part of the State — the great prairies. 
They lie almost entirely west of Bayou Teche and south 
of Bayou Cocodrie, making up the old Opelousas and 
Attakapas countries. On the south they are limited by 
the impassable sea-marsh, into which they pass, often by 
imperceptible gradation. On the west, Calcasieu river 
and the Sabine form the boundary lines." 

BAYOUS, COULEES AND FORESTS. 

All of this extensive area, thus broadly defined, is not 
one unbroken, treeless expanse. Coulees and bayous 
course through it, generally in a north and south direc- 
tion, on the borders of which grow fine forests of timber. 
From these principal belts of timber, spurs run out into 
the open prairies like headlands into the sea, thus dividing 
the whole region into separate tracts, each having its own 
name, Faquetyke, Mamou, Calcasieu, Sabine, Vermilion, 
Mermentau, Plaquemine, Opelousas and Grand Prairie 
are the largest. There are many others with local names, 
which it is needless to mention. The surface of the prai- 
ries, though generally level, is yet not perfectly so. 

PRAIRIE BILLOWS, COVES AND HARBORS. 

The prairie is gently rolling, like the billows of a deep 
sea. In fact, one cannot ride through the prairies with- 
out having their striking resemblance to large bodies of 
water constantly recurring to his mind. The grass 
which grows upon their surface, waving in the wind, 
looks like ripples on the bosom of the ocean; the dark 
blue borders of woods are like distant shores; the pro- 
jecting spurs like capes and promontories; the "coves" 
like bays and gulfs, and the occasional clumps of detached 
trees like islands in the sea. 



HEALTH AND LONGEVITY. 15 

SOIL OF THE PRAIRIES. 

The soil of the prairies is either of a grayish-yellow or 
a cold gray color, but is much better than is generally 
supposed, and improves wonder fully under proper culti- 
vation. The sub-soil is a good tenacious clay. The east- 
ern part of the prairies has a better soil than that farther 
west. Yet even the latter amply repays the laborer for 
his toil. By manuring, tramping, draining and deep 
plowing, the prairie soil gets better every year it is culti- 
vated. Cotton, cane and rice may be raised with profit, 
and very probably an excellent quality of tobacco. Hay, 
in any desired quantity, could undoubtedly be made by 
enclosing parts of the prairie and mowing the grass when 
fresh and juicy, or by improved and cultivated grasses. 

PRODUCTS OF THE PRAIRIES. 

The chief products of the prairies now are beef cattle, 
horses and sheep — none of very good quality, from the 
negligent manner in which they are raised. Poultry of 
all kinds can be raised with the greatest ease; vegetables 
and melons, figs, peaches and fine strawberries can all be 
grown successfully. 

POPULATION OF THE PRAIRIES. 

Most of the population of the prairies is of Acadian 
origin, and with but few notable exceptions, they are not 
a thrifty people. Their horses and cattle run at all times 
on the prairie. Cafe noir is their nectar, aud perique 
tobacco their ambrosia. With thousands of cows roaming 
on the prairies, you seldom see butter or milk in their 
houses. With the means around them of living well, 
they fare no better than the people who live on poor 
lands. 

CLIMATE OF THE PRAIRIES HEALTH AND LONGEVITY. 

The climate of the prairies is admirable; breezy and 
cool in the summer, mild in the winter, dry and healthy 
at all times; the Creole inhabitants are proverbially long- 
lived. Altogether, this region may be regarded as natur- 
ally the loveliest part of Louisiana. 



16 LOUISIANA. 



[ Chicago Tribune. 1 

"If, by some supreme effort of nature, Western Louisiana, with its 
soil, climate and production could be taken up and transported North, 
to the latitude of Illinois and Indiana, and be there set down in the . 
pathway of Eastern and Western travel, it would create a commotion 
that would throw the discovery of gold in California in the shade at the 
time of the greatest excitement. The people would rush to it in count- 
less thousands. Every man would be intent on securing a few acres of 
these wonderfully productive and profitable sugar plains. These 
Teche lands, if in Illinois, would bring from three to five hundred dol- 
lars per acre." 

Prof. E. W. Hilgard, of the University of California, says : 

" Few sections of the United States, indeed, can offer such induce- 
ments to settlers as the prairie region between the Mississippi bottoms, 
the Nez Pique and Mer inentau. Healthier by far than the prairies of the 
Northwest, fanned by the sea breeze, well watered, the scarcity of wood 
rendered of less moment by the blandness of the climate, and the 
extraordinary rapidity with which natural hedges can be grown for 
fences, while the exuberantly fertile soil produces both sugar cane and 
cotton in profusion, continuing to do so in many cases after seventy 
years exhaustive culture— well may the Teche country be styled by its 
enthusiastic inhabitants, the ' Garden of Louisiana.' " 

[Darby's History of Louisiana — 1817.] 

"This vast expanse of natural meadow extends seventy-five miles 
southwest and northeast, and is twenty-five miles wide, containing more 
than 1,200,000 acres, exclusive of the numerous points of woods that 
fringe its margin on all sides. This prairie begins thirteen miles north- 
west of Opelousas and gradually opening to the southward, sends out 
various branches between the bayous. 

"Here you behold those vast herds of cattle which afford subsist- 
ence to the natives, and the inhabitants of New Orleans. It is certainly 
one of the most agreeable views in nature to behold from a point of 
elevation thousands of cattle and horses of all sizes scattered over the 
intermediate mead in wild confusion. The mind feels a glow of cor- 
responding innocent enjoyment with those useful and inoffensive ani- 
mals grazing in a sea of plenty. If the active horsemen that guard us 
would keep their distance, fancy would transport them backwards into 
the pastoral ages. Allowing an animal to be produced for every five 
acres, more than two hundred and twenty thousand can yearly be reared 
and transported from this prairie alone, which, at an average often dol- 
lars per head, would amount to two million four hundred thousand 
dollars." 

The following is an analysis, by Prof. Eugene "W. Hil- 
Gard, of the University of California, of a specimen of 
virgin Louisiana prarie soil: 

"Depth, ten inches, without change of color; below this depth it 
becomes more grayish, with an increasing amount of rounded, chiefly 
ferruginous concretions (or black pebble) ; gray loam at two to three 
feet ; vegetation— grasses, mainly Panicum sp., and Andropogon (broom 
sedge), with Vernonia (iron weed). 

"Color, deep black; soil quite heavy; not as much so as the prairie 
soils of Mississippi and Alabama, but does not crumble on drying like 
the latter. 



PRAIRIE SOIL. 17 



"Saturated with moisture 12.8 degrees centrigrade, it lost 10.G per 
cent, on drying at 204°. Dried at this temperature it consisted of : 

Insoluble matter 67.21 ) 77 17 

Soluble Silica 9.«G f' 

Potash 0.21 

Soda 0.17 

Lime 1 74 

Magnesia 1-43 

Br. oxide of nianganeso 0.27 

Peroxide of iron 2.78 

Alumina * 4.83 

Phosphoric acid 0.21 

Sulphuric acid 0.11 

Carbonic acid 2.00 

Water and organic matter 8.60 

99.63 

"The result of this analysis was most unexpected to mo. The com- 
position of this prairie soil differs widely from that of prairie soils of 
other States iu the small amount of both potash and alumina. Mis- 
sissippi prairie soils yield from three to four times as much ; the latter 
representing, approximately, the amount of clayey ingredient present. 
This shows a very large proportion of the soil's bulk to be made up of 
fine silex, to which, rather than the clay present, its heaviness is 
owing, and as the clay is usually, in the Gulf States at least, the carrier 
of potash, the reason why the proportion of the latter is so small as to 
be even below the amount shown by the analysis of many pine-wood's 
soils, becomes obvious." 

" ifow, then, it may be asked, are we to account for the well estab- 
lished high fertility 'of this soil? The explanation lies, doubtless, in 
the large amount of lime, phosphoric acid and organic matter present. 
The former vouches for the largely available condition of the potash, 
and assures us that the alumina dissolved in the analysis nearly rep- 
resents the amount of clay in the soil, and it imparts to the soil that 
thriftiness which belongs only to soils capable of promptly converting 
all vegetable matter into true black 'humus.' " 

"As to phosphoric acid, one-quarter of one per cent. (0.250) is the 
maximum amount I have as yet found in the best soils of Mississippi, 
and this is rarely reached. The soil bei'ore us contains one-fifth of 
one per cent., therefore a very ample supply. 

"As to vegetable matter, the amount of chemically combined water 
belonging to the ferric oxide and clay cannot exceed two and one-half 
per cent.of the 8.6 por cent, of 'volatile matter,' therefore fully 6 per 
cent, are vegetable matter or humus, a very large amount for an 
upland soil. "This again assures the thriftiness of this soil, by securing 
a large supply of ammonia, by rendering the soil highly retentive of 
moisture, absorbent of heat and yet easy to till, and not liable to injury 
from drought." 

SEA-MARS II. 

A large part of the parishes of Cameron, Vermilion, 
St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, Jefferson, Plaquemines, 
Iberia and St. Bernard is composed of sea-marsh; but the 
land bordering the bayous is the richest alluvial. The 
products are sugar, rice, vegetables, tropical fruits, and 
fish and game. A part oi the surface of Vermilion, 
3 



18 LOUISIANA 



Cameron and Iberia parishes is prairie. Sugar planters 
occupy the bayou lands, while hunters and fishermen are 
sparsely scattered through the marsh, and many of the 
cheniers are covered with orange trees and live-oaks. 

THE PINE FLATS 

cover nearly one half of the parishes of St. Tammany, 
Tangipahoa, Livingstbne and Calcasieu. The forest 
growth is magnificent long-leaf pine — the yellow pitch 
pine of commerce; and a fine growth of cypress timber 
borders the streams. The pine flats afford illimitable 
fields to the lumberman, and charcoal burners do a flourish- 
ing trade with New Orleans, where they ship charcoal on 
luggers and receive from twenty-five to fifty cents per 
barrel therefor. The manufacture of tar, pitch and tur- 
pentine is carried on only to a limited extent, and all of 
these industries offer large and speedy returns to the 
investment of capital. 

The soil of the pine flats is thin and sandy; in compari- 
son with the soil of other parts of the State, it is called 
poor, yet it will yield a fair return for labor bestowed. 
This region has little undergrowth, but is covered with 
coarse grass, which affords good pasturage for sheep and 
cattle. 

The products are sugar cane, corn, potatoes, rice, 
tobacco, vegetables, melons, fruits and grapes. 

THE PINE HILLS 

are found in Catahoula, Calcasieu, Grant, Livingston, 
Natchitoches, Rapides, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangi- 
pahoa, Vernon and Washington. All of theses parishes 
have a great variety of soil, and distinctive forest growth 
peculiar to each within their borders. Natchitoches has 
thousands of acres of alluvial lands equal to the best in 
the State. Catahoula has bluff lands on Sicily Island, 
and alluvial on the Black and Ouachita Rivers. 

Grant has alluvial lands on Bayous Rapides, Robert and 
Bceuf. "Washington and St. Tammany parishes, on 
Pearl River, and a large part of Calcasieu parish fts 



THE FINE RILLS. 19 



prairie. The lands bordering the small streams in the 
pine woods are dotted with settlements of white families, 
who are frugal and industrious, and do all their own work 
without employing "help." The streams are of clear pure 
water, abound in fish, and afford ample power for mills. 
The great wealth of this section is comprised in its endless 
forest of pines, which offer inducements to manufacturers 
who would put them in the various merchantable forms 
of lumber, tar, pitch and turpentine. Like the pine flats, 
the soil is thin, but supports a hardy, independent and 
healthy people, who cultivate cotton, corn, potatoes, 
rice, tobacco, vegetables, fruits, and sugar cane for home 
consumption. Large numbers of native cattle subsist 
upon the wild grasses without other food. 

The following is an analysis of long-leaf pine land: 
Depth of soil, nine inches; growth, besides pine, post, 
Spanish and red oak; color, yellowish-buff; soil saturated 
with moisture at 69.1° Fahr., lost 4.106 per cent, of water 
at 400°. Sub-soil 9 to 20 inches — an orange-yellow sandy 
loam; 10.0 per cent, of water at 400°, dried at tempera- 
ture, soil and sub-soil consisted of — 

Soil. Sub-soil. 

Insoluble matter (chiefly fine matter; 89.801 77.931 

Potash 0.218 0.266 

Soda 0.076 0.072 

Lime 0.034 0.152 

Magnesia 0.806 0.352 

Brown oxide of Manganese 0.072 0.91 

Peroxide of iron 2.402 5.456 

Alumina 3.783 11.870 

Phosphoric acid 0.036 0.043 

Sulphuric acid 0.038 0.035 

Organic matter and water 3.446 3.261 

The following analysis of pine-land soil and sub-soil, 

shows the ingredients of the better qualities of these 

lands: Depth, 5 inches; subsoil, 11 to 18 inches. 

Soil. Sub-soil. 

Insoluble matter (chiefly sand) 93.257 83.030 

Potash 0.259 0.485 

Soda 0.065 0.061 

Lime 0.129 0.073 

Magnesia 0.180 0.519 

Brown Oxide of Manganese 0.146 1.153 

Peroxide of iron 1.251 4.145 

Alumina 2.356 8.871 

Phosphoric acid 0.030 ' 0.022 

Sulphuric acid 0.024 0.021 

Organic matter and water _ 2.380 3.117 



20 LOUISIANA. 



FARMING IN LOUISIANA. 

While it is true that the large planters of Louisiana are 
engaged almost exclusively in the growing of sugar, cot- 
ton, rice and forage necessary for their work animals, 
these princely establishments are confined to the alluvial 
region, and the farmers in the uplands, prairie and pine- 
woods, take advantage of the native pastures, nuts, fruits 
and roots, and raise cattle, sheep, hogs and a lew horses 
and mules, in addition to field crops. 

This is especially the case in Southwestern Louisiana, 
which is prairie, and does not materially differ from the 
prairies of Texas, except that they are of less extent and 
better watered with streams bordered with timber, and 
the rain-fall is ample and reliable throughout the year. 
These lands will compare favorably with any of the prairie 
lands of the United States, and the Colorado beetle or 
grasshopper, the plauge of other prairies, has never been 
seen m our State. 

The cereals, root crops, fruits and vegetables are culti- 
vated as in the West, North or England, but mature with 
much less care or labor. 

Corn and sugar cane are cultivated only with the plow 
or cultivator, in rows from four to seven feet apart. 
They should be plowed three times, although good corn 
is made by once plowing out in rich land. Corn should 
be planted from the fourteenth of February to the first of 
March. Sugar-cane either in the fall or spring. It re- 
quires or.ly one planting in three years. Cotton is also 
planted in rows, from the twentieth of March to the first 
of May. Cotton should be thinned to a stand by one hoe- 
ing, and plowed about three times. The lands of Louisiana 
will yield from twenty-five to fifty bushels of corn, from 
one to two bales of cotton, and from one to three hogs- 
heads of sugar per acre. 

Rice is very extensively cultivated in the State and 
will yield from thirty to seventy-five bushels per acre, 
worth from $45 to $115. In the lowlands rice is 
sown broadcast and irrigated; in the highlands, it is drilled 



FARMING Wf LOUISIANA. £Z 

in rows two or three feet apart and cultivated with a 
plow or cultivator. It may be cut by machinery and 
threshed like wheat. 

Oats do well all over the State. Wheat is confined to 
Northwestern Louisiana. Sugar cane is very easily 
grown, but the cost of machinery is great, and it requires 
a large capital to build and operate a mill. 

Small farmers sell their cane to the central mills for 
five dollars per ton (2000 pounds); twenty tons is a fair 
crop per acre, but over thirty tons are sometimes made. 
Sugar-making commences about the middle of October 
and continues about three months. Hands are generally 
paid $1 50 per day during sugar-making. 

The rice harvest is in August and wages are $1 50 a 
day 

Cotton picking commences in August and lasts till 
January. It is light, clean work, and women and chil- 
dren pick as well as men. All enjoy this season, and 
there is a demand for every pair of old or young hands. 
The price paid for picking is generally one cent a pound. 
A quick hand will pick more than 200 pounds per day. 

The finest tobacco is raised in Louisiana, it is called 
perique tobacco, and sells readily for one dollar per pound. 
Three cuttings can be made a year, giving an enormous 
yield. While Louisiana grows all the crops of the North- 
ern and Western States and England, her staples are cot- 
ton, sugar, rice and tobacco, which will always command 
gold in any market of the world. 

The cultivation of India jute has also been success- 
fully commenced, the yield being 4000 pounds of fibre 
per acre, pronounced by experts superior to the imported 
article. There are vacant lands enough in the State to 
supply the demand of the world. Crops in this State are 
generally laid-by in June. 

The mild climate of Louisiana enables the gardeners of 
this State to send vegetables to St. Louis, Chicago, 
Cincinnati and New York eight weeks in advance of their 
own gardens. We sometimes have strawberries in 
December and lasting till May. Oranges ripen in Octo- 



LOUISIANA. 



ber and last all winter. Japan plums ripen from Decem- 
ber till March. 

Our early vegetables command fabulous prices in the 
West. A market gardener near New Orleans showed me 
his sales of cucumbers at twenty dollars per barrel and 
potatoes at eight dollars. 

To sum up the advantages of Louisiana as a farming 
country: 

The land is as rich as any in the world. 

The agricultural products are more numerous. 

The health is good, water plentiful and good, timber 
first-class, climate unsurpassed, grass abundant for stock 
all the year; water transportation from all parts of the 
State to New Orleans, the greatest cotton and sugar 
market in America; railroads throughout the State com- 
peting with cheap river transportation. 

The people are kind, hospitable and welcome immigra- 
tion from every quarter of the globe. 

There has never been a failure of the crops from any 
cause whatsoever. 

According to the census of 1880 one man of every 
fifteen inhabitants is a foreigner. 



HOMES FOR IMMIGRANTS. 

This book is not issued in the interest of any individual, 
land or railroad company having lands for sale, but by the 
authority of the State of Louisiana. Its object 13 to in- 
duce immigrants to settle on the public lands and become 
citizens of the State. 

THE UNITED STATES HOMESTEAD ACT. 

Under this law every citizen and every foreigner who 
has declared his intention to become a citizen of the 
the United States is entitled to enter, at the United 
States "land office in New Orleans, 160 acres of land by 
paying a fee of eighteen dollars and seventy cents, of thi9 
amount fourteen dollars must be paid cash and the balance 
in five years 



FABMING IN LOUISIANA. S3 



THE UNITED STATES TIMBER CULTURE ACT. 

Under this law every citizen or foreigner who has 
declared his intention to become a citizen of the United 
States is entitled to enter 160 acres of prairie land at the 
United States land office at New Orleans, by paying a 
fee of eighteen dollars and seventy cents; of this amount 
fourteen dollars must be paid in cash, and the balance at 
the end of eight years. 

This act is liberal in its provisions, but a strict compli- 
ance with the letter and spirit of its terms will be 
required on the part of claimants thereunder. One 
hundred and sixty acres is the maximum entry, and when 
that quantity is taken at least five acres must be plowed 
within one year from date of entry. The following or 
second year said five acres must be actually cultivated to 
crop, and a second five a cres plowed. The third year the 
first five acres must be planted in timber, seeds, or cuttings, 
and the second five acres actually cnltivated to crop. 
The fourth year the second five acres must be planted 
in timber, seeds, or cuttings, making, at the end of the fourth 
year, ten acres thus planted. Perfect good faith must 
be shown at all times by claimants. The timber must not 
only be planted, but it must each year be protected and 
cultivated in such a manner as to promote its growth. 
A patent may be obtained for the land at the expiration 
of eight years from the date of entry, upon showing that 
for said eight years the trees have been planted, protected 
and cultivated as aforesaid, and that not Jess than £700 trees 
were planted on each acre, and at the time of making proof 
there shall be then growing at least 075 living thrifty trees 
to each acre. If at any time during the said eight years 
it shall be shown that the party has failed to comply with 
the terms of the law, the entry will be canceled. Under 
this law, good faith will require that if the thees, seeds, 
or cuttings are by any means destroyed one year they 
must be replanted the next. 

THE LAND LAW OF LOUISIANA 

allows "any person making affidavit that he or she enters 



84 LOUISIANA 



for his or her own use and for the purpose of actual set- 
tlement and cultivation, '' to enter 100 acres of State land 
on the payment of twelve and a half cents per acre, 
making a total, including the land office fee of one dollar, 
of twenty-one dollars for 160 acres. This land may be 
selected in the prairie region of the State, along the line 
of the Louisiana Western or Morgan's railroad, contigu- 
ous to 160 acres as a United States homestead, and 160 
more acres entered under the timber culture act, and the 
settler in this mild and delightful climate will become 
possessed of 480 acres of land, which will compare favor- 
ably with any of the prairie land of the bleak West. 
The entire cost will be fifty dollars and forty cents. 

An additional amount of land can be bought from the 
United States at one dollar and twenty-five cents per 
acre. In the West, where the government has given 
alternate sections of public lands to railroad companies, 
the price of this class of land is two dollars and fifty 
cents per acre. 

The recent completion of these two railroadsinto South- 
west Louisiana has directed general attention to the large 
extent of these valuable public lands, and immigrants from 
the North, West and Southern States are building homes 
in this delightful region. The price of lands held by 
individuals is increasing, and in a short time the immense 
herds of wild cattle and horses which roam over this pe- 
rennial pasture will be restrained by barbed wire fences; 
and railroads and steamboats will be taxed to their 
utmost capacity to bear away to market its agricultural 
products. I have, in this connection, mentioned the prairie 
region, because it allowed an additional 160 acres to be 
entered under the timber culture act, but the public lands 
of the State are not confined to any section; they extend 
to every parish, and embrace every variety of land, men- 
tioned in the topography of the State. 

The public land map prepared by the bureau will show 
them in the bluff lands, the good uplands, the pine hills, 
pine flats, and alluvial and coast-marsh. 

I would advise every farmer with a capital of from 



COST TO START A FARM. 



$500 to $1000, who desires to find a home in Louisiana, 
to enter public land. He will need all his money in get- 
ting fixed up comfortably in his new home. Capitalists 
and planters who desire to enter into manufacturing our 
products or planting on a large scale will find many fine 
and large plantations registered for sale in the office of 
the Bureau Agriculture and Immigration, under the law 
of the State/^to-wit: 

(Extract from tlio Acts of 1880.— Act 41.) 

Sec 3 Be it further enacted, etc., That it shall be the duty of said 
commissioner to keep in his office a register of lands ior sale in the 
State of Louisiana, and the names of persons who desire to purchase 
lands or to secure employes or employment in Louisiana, in the man- 
ner and upon the terms hereinafter provided. mm 

Sec 4 Be it further enacted, etc., That any citizen of Louisiana may 
register in the office of the commissioner any lands owned by him or 
her which arc for sale in the State, giving an abstract of titles to said 
lands, with a condensed description of the same, on payment of a fee 
of two dollars, and no more, to the commissioner, for each separate tract 
or parcel of land so registered. . . 

Sec 5 Be it further enacted, etc., That any person desiring to pur- 
chase lands, to secure employes or employment, may register his or 
her name with a statement of his or her wants, in the office of the 
commissioner on the payment of a fee of fifty cents to said commis- 
sioner ; provided, all moneys thus received by said commissioner shall 
be paid by him quarterly into the State Treasury ; provided, the register 
of said commissioner shall always be open to public examination free of 
charge ; a strict and correct account of the same being kept and report- 
ed to tlie Legislature at the regular session thereof. 



WHAT IT COSTS TO START A FARM IN 
LOUISIANA. 

This depends upon the size of the farm and the amount 
of money available. I know a young man who came to 
Louisiana from Tennessee ten years ago; he worked "for 
shares," one-half the crop the first year, and his share of 
cotton brought over $500 net; the next year he bought a 
place for $3000, on credit; he paid it out in three years, 
went back to Tennessee and brought home a wife, and has 
since that time bought land adjoining him for $3000, and 
built and paid for aliandsome house in which to live with 
his wife and children. 
4 



LOUISIANA 



I have known of other men who had barely money 
enough to pay the land office fees for 160 acres of land 
and started with only an axe and a pair of oxen; in five 
years they had comfortable homes and well-tilled farms 
and a nice little stock of cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry. 
They had to work very hard at first; they built log houses 
covered with boards, held to their places with the weight 
of sticks of timber laid on the roof. They could not 
afford to buy nails, and the floors and doors were made of 
split boards; their wives and children helped them by 
picking moss, selling chickens and eggs and picking cot- 
ton for the neighbors, while' the men worked out, when- 
ever they could spare a day and turned their hands to 
anything that would make a dollar. 

A very poor house will afford shelter to a working 
family in this climate until a better one can be built, 
when the old one serves as a kitchen. 

A man with only $500 could manage to start a farm of 

480 acres in Louisiana, with the following outlay : 

Under United States Homestead, 160 acres — $ 14 00 

Under United States Timber culture act 160 acres 14 00 

State Land, at 12£ cents per acre, 160 acres 20 00 

One pair of native horses .' 50 00 

One pair of oxen 40 00 

Three milch cows 45 00 

Thirty-six sheep, at $1 50 54 00 

One oxcart 40 00 

Farm tools 25 00 

One sow 5 00 

Chickens 10 00 

Six months' provisions 50 00 

Hire of hand, three months 60 00 

Corn for team 25 00 

Lumber and nails for door, floor and windows 40 00 

Seeds 8W> 

$ 500 00 

This is a statement of the needs of an emigrant to 
Louisiana who is determined to get all the good of the 
benign State and United States land law, with the least 
possible expenditure of money. 

The statement is fair, and every item can be bought for 
the money. 

With the assistance of a hired man three months he 



COST TO START A FARM. 



can build his cabin, .dig a well, (fifteen feet deep), fence in 
twenty acres, plant ri^e, corn, potatoes, peas, pumpkins 
and five acres in cotton, and a patch of sugar cane for the 
children. 

The emigrant's farm house is built very quickly and 
with little cost of the trunks of small, straight pines or 
cypress cut close by. The body of the house is made of 
the logs, like a pen — the ends notched so as to fit and the 
openings between the logs plastered with clay. The raft- 
ers are made of green poles and the roof covered with 
clap-board split from oak, cypress or pine. A temporary 
chimney may be made by plastering a skeleton wooden 
frame with clay mixed with moss. Lumber for floor, 
doors and shutters may be split from cypress or bought 
at the nearest saw-mill, and bricks may be bought or 
made. 

There is a large and prosperous German settlement at 
Fabacher, in St. Landry parish. The settlement was 
made about ten years ago. They clubbed together in 
building, and many of the families were located in their 
houses in forty-eight hours after arriving on the land. 
In the estimate of expenses for the first year I have put 
down provisions for only six months. 

It is supposed that milk butter, and eggs with vege- 
tables^ which grow quickly, will add materially to the fare 
of the family; fish and game will also help to feed the 
family. Potatoes will be ready for the table in April, 
mustard, radishes, peas and corn six weeks after plant- 
ing. 

Rice will be harvested in August and cotton picking 
will commence. This crop can be picked by the good 
wife and children, and the yield will probably be three 
bales to five acres, worth $135. Ten acres of rice 
would yield an average of 12 2 barrels, worth $4 per bar- 
rel, amounting to $500 net, which, together with the 
proceeds of his cotton, would give the settler a larger cap- 
ital than that expended to obtain a home and 480 acres 
of land. It is supposed that the corn, peas, pumpkins, and 
potatoes raised can be used to advantage on the farm. 



2S LOUISIANA 

The rice-straw is also a valuable forage, and with the cot- 
ton seed saved will keep the sheep in good order during 
the winter. 

The wool and lambs and calves will also add to the 
profits of the year. The farmer finds himself in a good 
position to enlarge his fields and extend his operations 
for another year. Thus, from year to year, with the na- 
tural increase of stock, and with industry, prudence and 
economy added to the growing value of his farm, com- 
forts gather around his home, luxuries are added, and it 
does not require a prophet to foretel that in twenty 
years time the poor emigrant will become a rich and 
prosperous farmer. 

FENCING IN THE PRAIRIES. 

The prairies of Louisiana are divided from one another 
by many streams, large and small, bordered with a heavy 
growth of timber and the traveler is never out of sight of 
forests; thus the problem of fencing large tracts is not so 
difficult to solve as in the boundless, naked prairies of the 
West. Many new-comers use the barbed wire on posts 
or plant cherokce-rose hedge; the .rose hedge can be con- 
tracted for at the rate of sixteen dollars per mile. It will 
turn stock in three years. The material for a double wire 
fence will cost about $100 per mile. Five cypress pick- 
ets will make nine feet of fence; they can be bought for 
four dollars per hundred, and will last fifty years. 

TJIE ADVANTAGE OF THE LOUISIANA PRAIRIES OVER THE 
WESTERN PRAIRIES. 

The farmer here can work every day in the year. 
In the West he can only work six months of the year. 

In Louisiana it is neither so hot in summer or so cold 
in winter as in the West. 

The season is so long that meadows may be cut four 
times a year. The climate is so mild that it docs not re- 
quire half the expenditure for clothing and houses as in 
the West. 



ADVANTAGES OF LOUISIANA FARMING. 29 

Stock requires no shelter, and will thrive on the wil" 
range of natural grasses, giving a greater and more regu- 
lar increase than in colder climates. 

Vegetables are in season every month in the year. 

The Louisiana prairie is .not subject to "northers" 
in winter, drought in summer, nor to the devastation 
of grasshoppers, potatoe bugs or chintz bugs. 

There is ample forest growth near at hand for building, 
fencing, and firewood, and frequent navigable streamr 
competing with the railroads and keeping down tho cost 
of transportation of produce to market. 

WHAT A MAN CAN MAKE ON A LOUISIANA FARM. 

After a farm has been fenced and improved, and ma- 
chinery bought, it is almost incredible what a man can 
make of agricultural products in this State. 

One hand with a screw pulverizer and sower attached 
can put in two hundred acres" of rice. At 12 J bbls. per 
acre, this would } r iekl 2,500 barrels, worth $4 per 
barrel. Total value, $10,000. Of course this crop could 
not be harvested by one man, but the headers and bind- 
ers are now being adapted to the harvesting of rice, and 
it need not cost more .to harvest, and prepare for market 
than wheat. Nearly all of the State lands, being low, are 
eminently suitable for the cultivation of rice. Where con- 
venient to water, rice fields are irrigated, and no cultiva- 
tion is required. 

A farmer with the aid of new improved machinery 
might easily put in one hundred acres in rice, ten acres in 
corn, and five acres in cotton, without having tha cultiva- 
tion and harvesting interfere with one another. 

LUCERNE AND GRASSES IN LOUISIANA. 

The following extract is taken from Howard's Manual, 
the third edition of which is before me. It is recognized 
as authority in the South: 

LUCEKNE. 

Lucerne hay is extremely nutritious, and is relished by hors?s, cattle 
and sheep. So far as the observation of the wiiter extends, it is pre- 
ferred by the domestic animals to any other kind of hay. 



30 LOUISIANA. 



The product of lucerne is enormous. Five tons of excellent hay may- 
be cut from one acre of ground planted in lucerne. It is estimated that 
fodder, green and dry, may be obtained from an acre of lucerne suffi- 
cient for the support of five horses during the entire year; this includes 
the great bulk of green food during the spring, summer and autumn. 
In latitude 32° lucerne is not green during the months of December, 
January and a part of February. In the low country, along the Gulf 
coast, it would probably be green all the year. 

It is ready to cut fully a month in advance of red clover. The rap- 
idity of its growth is only exceeded by asparagus. The root is perren- 
nial, lasting ten or fifteen or perhaps more years The roots become 
as large as small sized carrots. Five acres of lucerne on this farm was 
destroyed by Sherman's horses and cattle. After that the ground was 
left riddled with holes, giving it the appearance of a locust year. The 
sueceeding crop of corn was very heavy. This might have been expect- 
ed in view of the fact stated by Ville, that lucerne absorbs more ammo- 
nia from the atmosphere than any other crop. 

Lucerne seems to be indifferent to the texture of the soil, provided 
it be dry and sufficiently rich. The writer has seen it grow luxuriantly 
on the sands of the seaboard, and the clay of the blue limestone 
country. But two things are required, the soil must be rich and dry. 

Great efforts have been made to introduce lucerne into the Northern 
States and England. The soil and climate of England is not suited to 
it, and the Northern States are too cold. 

Lucerne is a child of the sun. It is a plant of a warm climate. It 
grows as well in the Southern States as in France and Italy. It is com- 
paratively insensible to drought. • 

THE JOHNSON GRASS, 

Sorghum Hdlapense, rises with a stem from four to 
twelve feet high, according to the soil on which it grows, 
erect, smooth, leaves linear, flexuous, graceful, curling 
down at the ends like Corn, flowers in a panicle at the 
top, at first green, changing gradually to brown. 

It is perennial in the South and will yield the enormous 
amount of two tons at each of four cuttings. Mr. Howard 
says in his Manual : "Mr. N. B. Moore since 1874 has de- 
voted himself steadily to the culture of this grass, and 
from his farm of 100 acres he has derived an annual in- 
come of from $7000 to $10,000. 

This grass is propagated both by seeds and roots, which 
resemble those of the wild cane, and penetrate the ground 
to the depth of thirty inches. 

Mr. Post says : 

It not only thrives well on bottoms, but it will grow just as well on 
upland, and, though on poor upland it will make but little hay, it 
makes fine pasture. It likes dry, hot weather, and while all other 
grasses seem to feel the affects of the hot sun, this retains its deep, rich 
green color, being but little effected by the drouth. This is because oi 
its long roots, which, like clover, run deep for moisture, often reaching 



GRASSES. SI 



two and three feet below the surface. Breaking up the land everv few 
years gives it all the culture needed, while a liberal top dressing of 
stable manure or some good fertilizer rewards the grower abundantly. 

To dairymen it is invaluable, making the richest milk and butter, 
being of such a rapid growth a less number of acres for the same 
amount of stock is required. 

Where the hay made from this grass has been sold for years the 
livery men prefer it to timothy; stock men also, but they complain 
their stock eat too greedily. 

BERMUDA GRASS. 

This grass grows everywhere in the South. It takes 
hold readily upon the poorest hill-tops aud gulleys, and 
upon the richest bottom lands 

All kinds of stock eat it with avidity. It runs upon 
the surface of the ground, sending out roots from every 
joint, and thus propagating itself, forms quickly a dense 
sod, yielding an immense amount of hay or green food. The 
closest cropping and tramping does not hurt it at any sea- 
son. One hundred pounds of the green grass will cure 
fifty pounds of perfectly dry, sweet hay. 

Mr. Howard, in his manual, says: 

I think it very doubtful whether there is an acre of land in the 
South thoroughly set in Bermuda grass (if proper use be made of it), 
that is not worth more than any other crop that can be grown on it. If 
I am right in this broad opinion, our efforts should be to propagate it. 
I am planting it every year on such land as does not pay for cultivation. 

I cannot better illustrate the grazing value of Bermuda grass, says 
Mr. Howard, than by an instance "in my own experience. Nearly thirty 
years ago I bought an old plantation near my place in Hancock county, 
Ga. It was bought at a low price on account of its being infested in 
places with Bermuda grass. I permitted a man to use thirty acres of it 
which were set in Bermuda grass. He had at the time, a cow,'a calf, sow, ; 
pigjs, and a brood mare. He cultivated a little crop of corn, but never had 
enough to feed his family. His stock lived upon that thirty acres of Ber- 
muda grass, except for a short time during the winter, when they had 
access to other parts of the plantation. He remained upon his place 
for five or six years. At the end of that time he had twenty-five head 
of cattle, severity-five hogs and five horses. I offered him for his 
increase $1000, which he refused. So much for the grazing value of 
Bermuda grass. 

I cannot give a better illustration of the manurial value of this 
grass than by reference to the crops made on this thirty acres of land 
after the man referred to left the place : 

First crop cotton— half a stand on account of the mass «of undecom- 
posed sod ; 1800 pounds seed-cotton, 600 pounds of lint. Second year, 
2800 pounds seed-cotton per acre. 

Third year, sixty-five bushels of corn per acre ; manured with cotton 
seed. 

Fourth crop, forty-two bushels of wheat per acre. 

The average product of this land without the grass would have been 
not more than one hundred pounds of seed cotton, fifteen bushels of 



S2 LOUISIANA. 



com, or ten bushels of wheat. I know of no crop that will improve 
land more, and certainly none that will give so large an increase with 
bo little labor. . 

A gentleman in this county informed me a few days since that he 
had just cut from one acre of Bermuda grass eight two-horse wagon 
loads of excellent hay. . 

The Bermuda and crab grass are at home in the South, clear down to 
the gulf shore. They not only live, but live in spite of neglect; and, 
when petted and encouraged, they make such grateful returns as aston- 
ish their benefactor. I have known $114 worth of Bermuda grass sold 
from seven-eighths of an acre in one season. 

Mr. Edward Atkinson thinks that by a proper rotation 
of crops, with sheep, Bermuda grass, cotton and cotton 
seed meal, the worn out lands of the older Cotton States 
would be entirely renovated, and reveal a mine of wealth 
to the South hitherto unknown. 

There is little need in Louisiana for artificial pasturage, 
summer or winter. We have many grasses with only 
local names, besides, the broom sedge, the carpet grass, 
Bermuda grass, the ksjndesa striata and the white clover, 
the wild rye, the prairie grass, the gazon (paspalum) 
the gamma, all growing with luxuriance in the woods and 
open lands, and crab grass in the stubble and corn fields 
gives a summer and fall pasture which cannot be sur- 
passed. This is a point of superiority of the South over 
the North. The Northern farmer has nothing to corres- 
pond to our crab grass. We are fortunately exempt in 
Southern pastures from perennial weeds. On the whole, 
the drawbacks to successful grass culture in Louisiana are 
as few as in any part of the world. 
WIN TEE GRASS. 

j Howard's Manual.] 

One of the most marked and singular advantages of the South is its 
ability to grow grasses which may be pastured in winter. It is a bless- 
ing of climate which we have not yet appreciated. The raising of a 
full supnly of horses, mules, cattle, sheep and hogs-for our own con- 
sumption, is an absolute essential of skilled agriculture. For all of 
these, except the hog, grass either green or cured is necessary. The 
cost of cutting and saving hay has been greatly reduced by the use of 
improved implements. Still it is something. Besides the cost of the 
hay is the cost* of the barn to storeit. in, and in addition the cost of feed- 
ing it out. A barn sufficiently large to hold the hay l'or a considerable 
stock is an expensive affUir. Nearly ail of this expense is saved by 
good winter pastures. The stock upon them do their own mowing, 
and are their own barn. Exceptional periods occur, as in a heavy 
freeze or severe storm, when some hav mtst be fed. By the aid of the 
■winter grasses it is perfectly practicable to raise colts, cattle and sheep 
throughout a large portion of the South without any ether cost than 



G J? ASSES. 38 



the interest on land and the value of the salt. The first object of the 
farmer who designs to giow the grasses should be to sow those which 
are green all the winter. "Boughness," as it is called, may be tempo- 
rarily secured by sowing corn, peas, millet and oats. But there is no 
adequate substitute for winter grass pastures. Oats, barley and rye 
may be grazed, but the stock must be taken from them at a season 
when the necessity is most pinching, and besides they must be sowed 
annually, which is expensive. They are decidedly to be preferred to no 
winter pasture, but are very inferior to permanent grass pastures. 

The following is taken from the valuable work of Dr. 
D. L. Phares on Southern Grasses : 

THE MEADOW OAT GEASS. 
This grass deserves to be placed at the head of the winter grasses for 
the South. It has the double advantage of being a good hay as well as 
winter pasture grass, it does not answer well on moist land. Kich 
upland is the proper soil for it. On such land it will grow from five to 
seven feet tall, completely hiding a man walking in it. It will grow on 
more sandy land than most of the artificial grasses. The yield of hay 
per acre is large and the quality excellent. It matures rapidlv. Seed 
sown in the spring will produce seed in the fall; the seed is ripe when 
the stalk is green. This. is a great advantage in being able to save the 
seed and hay from the same crop. The amount of green food yielded 
by this grass during the winter is greater than from any other grass. 

M. MACULAT A— {Spotted Medick.) 

This is a valuable plaut. It was brought from Chili to California 
and thence to the United States under the name of California Clover' 
or Yellow Clover. Many mistook it for Lucerne, and still so call it. 
This has only two or three yellow blossoms in each cluster, while lu- 
cerne has many blue blossoms in an elongated head. 

I have grown this plant about twenty-five years. It furnishes good 
grazing from February till April or May, a small lot of ground feeding 
a large number of cattle, sheep, etc. Cattle do not like to eat it at 
first, but it is easy to teach them, and they acquire a great fondness for 
it. But all the grass-eating animals, including geese, know and eat 
lucerne greedily at first sight. Horses that refuse the Spotted Medick 
when green, eat it readily when wilted or dried. The last lot I sowed 
was in 1859 or 1860. Every year many persons passing the public roads 
near this lot stop and admire the luxuriant growth. For a number of 
years my live stock had access to it from December to March or later 
with much profit. On removing them it shot up and spread out rapidly 
in April and May, in the latter month maturing an immense quantity 
of seed and then dying. In June the crab grass (Punicum Sauguinale) 
sprang up on the same ground, and in August this grass, while in 
bloom, was mowed. In October I had a secoud lighter mowing. In a 
few weeks the Medick would be up and in full possession of the ground 
till the next June. 

Thus for years I had the latter for grazing in winter and spring, and 
in August and October took off two and a half or three tons of hay per 
acre. The hay is better than you ever get from the West. 

After a luxuriant crop of Medick the ground is very loose and in a 
condition to produce a good crop of anything. One may* cultivate the 
land every year, and make better crops of corn and cotton than on 
ground not occupied by the Medick, and still have the benefit of the 
latter for winter and early spring grazing. 

ACBOSTIS VULGABIS. 
This is the Red Top Grass or Herd's Grass of Pennsylvania and the 
Southern States, and the Bent Grass of England. It grows two or 
5 



34 LOUISIANA. 



three feet high, but I have mowed some even four feet high. It makes 

food hay in the South aud good pasture on lands moderately moist, 
t grows well in marshes and is not injured by overflow, even though 
somewhat prolonged. It may be sown the same time as orchard grass, 
two or three bushels to the acre. 

POA PKATENSIS. 

This is also called Smooth Meadow Grass, Spear Grass ; in Kentucky, 
Blue Grass. The first year after sowing this grass is so small that some 
persons have given it up as a failure and have plowed it up. The sec- 
ond year there is some growth, but this grass does not attain perfection 
until the third year. It grows as well here, and I think better, and 
during the first and second year makes a much better show than in 
the far-famed Blue Grass region of Kentucky, or anywhere else that I 
have seen ; I would say that it should give from three to four tons of 
hay to the acre. 

HOLCUS LANATUS, 

known as the velvet grass, feather grass, tohite timothy of the Old World 
and the velvet Mesquit e of Texas. 

This grass grows luxuriantly all the winter in Louisiana. 

Dr. Phares says: 

Its nutritive properties consists wnolly in mucilage and sugar, while 
animals relish more the grasses whose nutritive matter is partly sub- 
acid and saline. That it is not from deficiency of nutritive matter, but 
rather excess, will be evident on comparing this with other grasses. 
•Let us take the orchard grass in bloom . 

One acre of orchard grass yields green grass 27,905 pounds, which 
dried gives 11,859 pounds, containing 1089 pounds of nutritive matter. 

An acre of Holcus, same kind of land, gives green grass 19,057 pounds ; 
dried, 6193 pounds ; nutritive matter, 1191 pounds. As this grass in its 

ffreen state contains less water than others, it yields an immensely 
arger percentage of nutritive matter than Orchard and others, though 
not in so desirable a proportion and condition to suit the taste of ani- 
mals. It ought to be specially valuable for milch cows and sheep, and 
for lean horses that it is desirable to fatten. Fed green, it would be 
better for work stock than any other green grass. 



FOOD CROPS. 



Notwithstanding the planters of Louisiana have in the 
past adhered to her staples of sugar, cotton and rice, the 
smaller farmers have a more diversified system, many of 
them raising all of their home supplies except tea and 
coffee. Under this salutary system the small farmer is 
absolutely independent, and it is still the custom in the 
southwestern part of the State for the clothing of the en- 
tire family to be spun, woven and made at home. 



FOOD CROPS. 35 



The negroes throughout the cotton belt have mostly- 
moved to the alluvial lands, where they receive higher 
wages, and have left the uplands to the intelligent white 
farmers, native and foreign. The result is seen in the 
increase of the cotton crop of the South to over 6,000,000 
bales. 

With the uplands of our State settled by intelligent 
white immigrants, cultivating smaller farms, with better 
plowing, fertilizing and a more intelligent system of cul- 
tivation, using all the appliances of modern husbandry, 
our production of the staples could be readily doubled on 
the area now devoted to them, leaving the farmer 
leisure to devote to cereals, fruits and home comforts. 

Our white farmers have already successfully demon- 
strated that cotton, sugar, rice and tobacco can be grown 
by them in this State without the constant drudgery that 
was once thought necessary for their production. They 
find leisure to beautify their homes and surround them 
with comforts and even luxuries, while laying by money 
for a rainy day. 

But it is frequently asked by Europeans: Can "white 
men" labor under a summer sun in the Southern States? 

I answer that "white men" do labor with remarkable 
success in midsummer in the Northern States, where the 
heat is greater and the days longer, and what is to pre- 
vent them from laboring in the South, where the heat is 
less and the days are shorter and the nights of more re- 
freshing coolness? 

Out of the whole number of laborers now employed 
South in the cultivation of cotton, it has been estimated 
that fully one-half are white men. 

SUMMER HEAT NORTH AND SOUTH. 

The Northern summer is short — much shorter than in 
the South — but it is much hotter while it lasts, and plants 
get their required amount of sunshine in a smaller num- 
ber of days, 

Observations on temperature made by scientific men 
since 1819 have been preserved in the Smithsonian Insti- 
tute, and published from time to time and transmitted 



S6 LOUISIANA. 



by its secretary to the Agricultural Bureau, and embodied 
in its report. From an examination of these tables it will 
be seen that the proposition which I have advanced is in- 
contestably true. In one of the recent reports the fact is 
stated and philosophically accounted for as follows : "For 
though there is absolutely more heat at the latitude of New 
Orleans during the year than at Madison, Wisconsin, yei 
there is more heat received at this latter place during the 
three months of midsummer than in the same time at the 
former place." 

In the same report, and accompanying it, is a table 
showing the sun's diurnal intensity at every ten degrees of 
latitude. It further says : "On the fifteenth of June the 
sun is more than 23° north of the equator, and therefore 
it might be readily inferred that the intensity of heat 
should be greater at this latitude than at the equator ; 
but that it should continue to increase beyond this even 
to the pole, as indicated by the table, might not at first 
si j lit appear so clear. It will, however, be understood 
when it is recollected that though in a northern latitude 
the obliquity of the ray is greater, and on this account 
the intensity should be less, yet the longer duration of 
the day is more than sufficient to compensate for this 
cfTjct and produce the result exhibited." 

IGNORANCE IN AMERICA RESPECTING CLIMATE. 

Much greater ignorance is apparent even in America 
on this subject than would at first appear. Wealthy South- 
erners imagine that if they can only grow sufficient cot- 
ton or sugar to take them North during the summer 
months, where during June. July and August they can 
manage to keep cool, they will be healthy during the re- 
mainder of the year ; and while sweltering in Northern 
watering places, and "roasting" in Northern cities, they 
console themselves in enduring the great heat by the mis- 
taken belief that it is an unusually heated term for that 
climate, and that it must be much warmer at their South- 
ern homes. 

On the other hand, Northerners who have spent the 



THE GREAT WEST. 37 

winter in the South in search of health or profit, hasten 
away at the first warm breath of summer, impelled by 
the same delusion. 

On the twenty-eighth day of June the thermometer in 
Havana and Mobile was at 82°, in Key West and New 
Orleans at 84°, in Buffalo at 87°, but in New York city 
at 94°. By comparing the telegraphic advices from 
various portions of the country and the West Indies, it 
will be perceived that New York on that day was, ther- 
mometrically (although not geographically), nearer the 
equator and the torrid zone than either Florida or Cuba 
by fully 10°. Could Southern tourists, in search of 
cool and more invigorating climates, have returned on 
that day to their homes in Louisiana, they would have 
felt as if they had been transported several degrees to- 
wards the north pole and the frigid zone from the lati- 
tude of New York city. 

THE GREAT WEST. 

The following is an extract from the report of Professor J. 
Henry, the learned secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, 
made for the benefit of the Agricultural Bureau in 1856, and 
reported to Congress — and to be found in the Agricultu- 
ral report of that year, page 480. We commend the en- 
tire report to emigrants wishing to come to America : 

The general character of the soil between the Mississippi River and 
the Atlantic is that of great fertility, and, as a whole, in its natural 
condition, with some exceptions at the West, is well supplied with 
timber. The portion, also, on the western side of the Mississippi, as 
far as the 98th meridian, including the States of Texas, Louisiana, 
Arkansas, Missouri; Iowa, Minnesota, and portions of the Territory of 
Kansas and Nebraska, are fertile, though abounding in prairies, and 
subject occasionally to droughts. But the whole space to the west, 
between the 98th meridian and the Rocky Mountains, is a barren 
waste, over which the eye may roam to the extent of the visible horizon 
with scarcely an object to break the monotony. From the Rocky 
Mountains to the Pacific, with the exception of the rich but narrow belt 
along the ocean, the country may also be considered, in comparison with 
other portions of the United States, a wilderness, unfitted for the uses 
of the husbandman ; although in some of the mountain valleys, as at 
Salt Lake, hy means of irrigation, a precarious supply of food may be 
obtained, sufficient to sustain a considerable populution, provided they 
can be induced to submit to privations from which American citizens 
generally would shrink. The portions of the mountain system further 
South are generally inhospitable, though they have been represented 
to be of a different character. In traversing this region whole days 



38 LOUISIANA. 



are frequently passed without meeting a rivulet or spring of water to 
slake the thirst of the wear y traveler. It is true that a considerable 
portion of the interior is comparatively little known from actual ex- 
ploration, but its general character can be inferred from that which, 
has been explored. As has been said before, it consists of an elevated 
swell of land, covered with ridges, running in a northerly direction 
inclining to the west. The western slopes, or those which face the 
ocean, are better supplied with moisture, and contain more vegetation 
than the eastern slopes ; and this increases as we approach the Pacific, 
along the coast of which, throughout the whole boundary of the 
United States to the Gulf of California, exists a border of land of de- 
lightful climate and of fertile soil, varying from 50 to 200 miles in width. 
The transition, however, from this border to a parallel district in the 
interior, is of the most marked and astonishing character. Starting 
from the sea-coast, and leaving a temperature of 65 degrees, we may, in 
the course of a single day's journey, in some cases, reach an arid 
valley, in which the thermometer in the shade marks a temperature of 
110 degrees. We have stated that the entire region west of the 98th 
degree of west longitude, with the exception of a small portion of 
western Texas, and the narrow border along the Pacific, is a country 
of comparatively little value to the agriculturist ; and, perhaps, it will 
astonish the ^reader, if we direct his attention to the fact that this line, 
which passes southward from Lake Winnepeg to the Q-ulf of Mexico, 
will divide the whole surface of the United States into two nearly equal 
parts. This statement, when fully appreciated, will serve to dissipate 
some of the dreams which have been considered as realities, as to the 
destiny of the western part of the North American continent. Truth, 
bowever, transcends even the laudable feelings of pride of country; 
and in order properly to direct the policy of this great confederacy, jk 
is necessary to be well acquainted with the theatre on which its future 
history is to be enacted, and by whose character it will mainly be 
shaped. 

This report was made twenty-five years since, and it 
has been proven to be true, to the sorrow of many thou- 
sands of immigrants who are now seeking to get away 
from those vast rainless, treeless, arid deserts, where they 
have been scorched by the sun's fierce rays in summer 
and their very marrow frozen in the long winter; where a 
rain sufficient to insure the growth of crops is surely fol- 
lowed by the plague of grasshoppers, chintz bugs and 
Colorado beetles, and a continued struggle for one-half 
the year is required to keep life m man and beast during 
the winter. 

The lands are largely owned by railroad companies, by 
whom they have been advertised all over the world, and 
made attractive on paper and maps. Millions of acres 
have been sold to settlers from the East and Europe, and 
millions more are for sale, and are still advertised as a 
"good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and 
depths that spring out of valleys and hills — a land of 



THE GREAT WEST 39 

wheat and barley, and vines, and fig-trees, and pome- 
granates — a land of oil, olive and honey — a land wherein 
thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not 
lack anything in it ; a land whose stones are iron, and out 
of whose hills thou mayest dig brass." 

We do not pretend to say that there are no good lands 
in the West, but we do say that all such lands are long 
since occupied, and the tide of emigration has rolled up 
to the extreme western limit, to the dry-line and the 
alkaline deserts, and is now flowing back and tendiug to- 
ward the southwest, a section which even to Americans is 
a terra incognita, where immigration has not been desired 
or invited till recently. 

In this connection I reproduce the following letter from 

a Kansas farmer : 

Phillipsburg, Kansas, June 5, 1880. 
Commissioner of Agriculture, State of Louisiana: 

Dear Sir— I have resided in this (Phillips) county, Kansas, for the 
last eight years. When I landed hei^e in 1872 the face of the country- 
was magnificently carpeted with a rich coat of buffalo grass, about two 
inches high, just after a good rain. The birds were singing and all 
nature appeared to be alive. I located on a homestead of 160 acres, and 
with two teams commenced to turn up the virgin soil to the blue vaults 
of heaven. Believing that I had struck the Eldorado of the West, or 
the place where the world was finished from the plastic hand of an 
Omnipotent God, and by him pronounced good— filled with hope, in- 
spired with the surrounding scenes of nature, I began to lay the foun- 
dation of a future home. One huudred acres of land were broken in 
1874 and planted to corn on my farm, and not one grain of corn was 
raised— not -i cob on the place matured, for the grasshoppers came and 
totally destroyed the entire crop. In 1875 I planted seventy- live acres 
of corn and gathered 150 bushels, the grasshoppers getting the rest, and 
likewise for four years in succession the grasshoppers did the gather- 
ing. Still hope has tilled the bosoms of the farmers witb energy. At 
seasons when there are no grasshoppers- there is generally a trem«n- 
dous dry time. I have never seen a half crop raised yet in this coun- 
try. At present we have had no rain since November, 1879, that was 
sufficient to wet the ground one inch deep at any time. Thousands of 
acres are this season lying vacant in this county, from the fact that the 
ground is so dry that it cannot be plowed, and the crops cannot be 
planted. Hundreds of families are to-day living on the hospitality and 
generosity of their neighbors. Hundreds are leaving their claims. 
Last week one farm of 160 acres, with a house on it, ten miles from the 
county seat of this county, sold for the sum of $2 05. Another farm 
of 160 acres, within four miles of Phillipsburg, that cost one year ago 
$300, was sold this week for a sewing machine worth not more than $30. 
Thousands of farms are here for sale ; everybody discouraged and no 
buyers. Still our soil is as pi-oduetive as that of any land beneath the 
Abroad canopy of high Heaven, but the trouble is we cannot get rainfall 
enough on it to develop it. 
The settlers here are generally honest, intelligent, industrious and 



40 LOUISIANA. 



energetic, and very poor. They hope that next year they will raise 
a better crop than this year, and so on. They are living on hope de- 
ferred. 
My experience is this, that Kansas, like Palestine, the wandering 

Elac'e of the Jews, has been wonderfully overated, having the largest 
istory for so small a place on the globe. 

Three-fourths of the farmers in this county have spent more money 
than they have made since they came here, while working har i and 
practicing economy, living, like Marion, on corn bread and water, in- 
stead of roots and water. 

Last season I was down in Graham county, this State, forty miles 
southwest of this. There are some 15U0 negroes from the South located 
there, on nice land, living in holes in the ground, without a door shut- 
ter, without a window, without teams, without money, without timber, 
using weeds for fuel ; without water, save as they would carry it from 
the creek from one to miles distant; living on bread and water, 
and some of them were actually eating the buds of the wild rose, hav- 
ing gathered them and mashed them np. 

This statement is not overdrawn : in fact, it is really worse than I 
have stated it. The wheat crop here is a failure this season ; our gen- 
eral yield is from two to twelve bushels per acre. Now, sir, I desire to 
change my domicile. I want to find a place where a person can make 
an honest living. I want to know what inducement your State offerg 
to immigration. 

If necessary, I can brinq; 100 families, as one-half the people here 
would migrate if they knew where to go and what they could do when 
they got there to make a living. What can a person do there, with sav 
from $500 to $1500? 

What can land be bought for, and oh what terms and conditions, in 
your State? What crops can be raised, and what are the prices of pro- 
duce or crops when raised? What is the health of the country? How is 
the best way to come to your State? How are your crops? How is your 
fruit? How is your land, and what is the prospect for a poor industrious 
man to make a living in your State? 

Hoping to hear from you soon in this matter, I remain, yours re- 
spectfully, J. D. BBADLEY. 



GENERAL ADVICE. 



The immigrant who is absolutely destitute need not 
hesitate to come to Louisiana. He can obtain employ- 
ment immediately at remunerative wages by applying to 
the office of the Commissioner of Immigration in the 
State-House in New Orleans. There is always a demand 
for agricultural laborers all over the State, but the de- 
mand is increased and the wages doubled during the har- 
vest of rice, cotton and sugar, which extends from August 
1 to February 1. 



GENERAL ADY1GE. 41 



THE WHEAT HARVESTERS OP THE WEST 

would find it greatly to their advantage to come to Lou- 
isiana after the wheat harvest is over at home and assist 
in saving our crops. They could either ship as deck- 
hands on a Mississippi river steamboat or buy "round 
trip " return tickets by railroad, as is the custom of many 
young men of the West who visit us annually, some of 
them finding wives and homes in our hospitable State. 

HOW TO GO TO LOUISIANA. 

Louisiana can be reached by railroad from any part of 
the United States, but we would advise those coming 
from New York to take the Cromwell Line of steamers — 
those from England, the Dominion Line of steamers, and 
those from Germany, the North German Lloyd Line of 
steamers. The United States lands and the State lands 
within the borders of Louisiana are ample and sufficient 
lor homesteads for many thousand families, and although 
some immigrants of extraordinary vim and energy have 
entered upon homesteads without any capital, and suc- 
ceeded in establishing comfortable homes, we would not 
advise an immigrant to attempt to enter a homestead 
without a few hundred dollars to start with. Our 
State and people desire that the immigrant shall prosper, 
and become the owner of the soil he cultivates, and an 
independent American citizen ; but if he has no means 
to buy plows, stock, cows, sheep, hogs and poultry, cart 
and farming implements, it would be better for him to 
hire to some farmer already established or to "work for 
shares" until he has a start of from $300 to $500. 

THE FOREIGN EMIGRANT 

need not hesitate or wait for a colony before coming to 
Louisiana. He will find on arrival some of his country- 
men already here. Our population is essentially cosmo- 
politan. Every fifteenth person in the State is a foreigner, 
and representatives of every nation on the face of the 
globe are within our borders. 



LOUISIANA 



Write to the Commissioner of Immigration, New Or- 
leans, Louisiana, for special information, and learn before 
you come all necessary facts. To reach Texas from Eu- 
rope or New York it is necessary to come by way of New 
Orleans, and to pass by railroad through Louisiana a dis- 
tance of 200 miles. This section of Louisiana, possesses 
all the advantages of Texas as a stock country, without 
its disadvantages, and contains some of the richest land 
for farming purposes in the world. 

MANY WESTERN FARMERS 

suffering from lung diseases and rheumatism have fled 
from the bleak western plains to our sunny climate. They 
fouLd a safe asylum and recovered health and strength. 
More than this, they have found friends among our peo- 
ple. They have built themselves houses and gathered 
comforts and luxuries around them, and now literally sit 
under their own vines and fig trees. 

THE CLASS OP PEOPLE MOST NEEDED IN LOUISIANA 

are farmers, men who will rent or buy the land and culti- 
vate it; laboring men and women, who will work for 
monthly wages; mechanics of nearly every trade; men 
with capital who will engage in the stock business, build 
mills and manufactories, occupy the "turned out" cotton 
and sugar plantations and reclaim the millions of acres of 
rice lands on the sea-coast. There is a limited demand 
for teachers, male and female, especially in the rural dis- 
tricts, or for professional men, book-keepers, clerks and in- 
door men generally. The men most needed are those 
that can turn the virgin soil and produce something from 
the ground. 

Our country is too accessible and has too many natural 
advantages for us to pay the passage of any or invite the 
masses of unproductive people upon us; we only want 
those who, with their capital or labor, will not only be 
self-supporting but add to their own and the wealth of 
the country, and become good and law-abiding citizens 
amongst us. 



A PROSPEROUS COLONY. 43 

We need only more producers, more people to settle 
up the public lands, more bone and sinew and brains to 
reap the full reward of intelligent and progressive hus- 
bandry, to make Louisiana the garden spot of the world. 
Slavery is gone and forever. The civil and political rights 
of white and black are perfectly protected, and our State 
constitution is more free and liberal than that of Massa- 
chusetts, 

To the farmers of the older Cotton States, and those of 
the North and West, and especially to the ex-United 
States soldiers who fought us during the war, we extend 
a cordial invitation to become citizens of Louisiana. 

A PROSPEROUS GERMAN COLONY. 

Fabacher, St. Landry Parish, La., August 17, 1881. 
W. if. Harris, Commissioner of Agriculture, New Orleans, La. 

Dear Sir— I take the liberty to write you a few lines to let you know 
how the German settlement in St. Landry is progressing. It lays 
about twenty-nine miles from Opelousas, La., west, and about sixteen 
miles from the Mermentau River, where the New Orleans and Texas 
Railroad crosses the river ; there is a station about sixteen miles from 
here on the railroad. 

About nine years ago myself and Mr. Jos. Fabacher started the 
German settlement. We are from New Orleans, but were born in Ger- 
many. I am from Baden and Jos. Fabacher from Bavaria. Mr. 
Peter Klein, Christ Ruppert, John Frey followed the year following; 
they are from Bavaria. They had nothing when the 'came here and 
to day each of them have about forty head of cattle and horses ; they 
homesteaded some land and they are doing well. Messrs. John Linden 
and Theo. Flesh arrived here about eight years ago. They are also 
doing well ; they homesteaded some land. Fred. Zenter, from Prussia, 
arrived Here also about six years ago; he also homesteaded a piece of 
land and is doing well. Mr. Vettus Will' ert, with his family, from Austria, 
arrived here about six years ago ; he was like the rest, without means. 
So was John Meyers, from Prussia. Mr. Frank Krayter, also from 
Austria, about two years ago, homesteaded a piece of land ; he is doing 
well. Each and everyone of the parties mentioned to-day have plenty 
of cattle and horses to do their work with ; they have each planted 
about forty acres of rice, and never buy anything on credit; pay cash 
for everything they need. They all raise plenty of corn, Irish and 
sweet potatoes, sugar cane and oats. 

Mr. G. Miller keeps the Point-a-Loup Springs, one of the finest 
watering places in the South. A good many people are cured every 
year of rheumatism by these excellent springs. "They are nine miles 
trom the German settlement. There are eight families from Polish 
Prussia, who arrived about three years ago about twelve miles from 
here; they are also prosperous. We have a saw mill, grist mill, a 
sugar mill and two rice threshers. We have also a Catholic church 
and public schools. It is one of the healthiest places in the world ; we 
don't know anything about sickness. Up here the country is a rolling 
prairie, with plenty of timber. Hogs are plentiful ; they don't need any 
care; there is an abundance of acorns to fatten them in winter. 



44 LOUISIANA. 



Messrs. James Little and Chas. Swanton, from New Orleans, settled 
here this year; they are also doing well. The country is also well 
adapted to sheep raising. 

I believe we will have a rice mill at Opelousas. Mr. Jos. Block told 
me he would put one up this season. If that is the case, we will have a 

glorious time up here. I forgot to mention we also have a postoffice 
ere. There arrived about, six months ago some young men emigrants 
from Pruss'a. They will homestead some land ; as soon as the Parish 
Court sits they will declare their intention of becoming citizens and 
settle themselves. Nobody leaves the place who ever comes here. 
They are all delighted with it. I forgot to mention Louis P. Chambers 
and Louis Chamber also settled here some six years ago. They are 
from Alsace, and John Friden from Prussia; they are, like the rest, 
doing well. Tobacco grows well here. The people raise all the tobacco 
they need. 

By information received from some of the within mentioned parties 
there will arrive from Bavaria some emigrants next fall, relatives of 
them. The rice crop is magnificent; oats did well this year; so did 
Irish potatoes. A good deal of the latter are planted and up for this 
fall. Sweet potatoes, cane and tobacco look well. Very little cotton is 
planted, but what is planted looks well. This is about all I can write 
you about the German settlement. 

Hoping the perusal of this letter will not worry you, I remain, re- 
spectfully yours, etc., 

ZENO HUBEKT. 



EXTRACT 
FEOM THE EEPOKT OF DR. JOSEPH JONES, 

PRESIDENT OF THE BOAED OF HEALTH. 

To His Excellency, Louis A. Wiltz, Governor of Louisiana: 

Sm-r-The Board of Health of the State of Louisiana have the honor 
to submit, through your Excellency, to the General Assembly of Lou- 
isiana, the annual report for the year eighteen hundred and eighty. 

Louisiana has been free from epidemics of contagious and infectious 

diseases during the year 1880. 

* * * « * * * * * * 

It is worthy of note that in this great city, with 216,000 inhabitants, 
extending twelve miles along the banks of the Missiissippi Kiver, during 
the year 1880, only two deaths were reported by the physicians of New 
Orleans as due to yellow fever, and one of these was an imported case 
from the bark Excelsior. 

During the entire year 1880 less than one dozen cases of fever were 
reported by the entire medical profession of New Orleans, in which a 
consultation was requested with the President of the Board; and in 
each and every case submitted to the Board of Health the malarious 
nature of the fever was recognized. 

The annual death-rate per 1000 inhabitants was far less for the ten 
Individual months of 1880, recorded in the preceding tables, than for 
the similar months during the twelve years— 1869-1880, inclusive -as 
will be manifest from the following comparison : 



METEOROLOGICAL REPORT. 45 



DEATH BATS FEB THOUSAND INHABITANTS. 

Arerasre 12 yean. 

1880. 1869-1830. 

January 24.77 aa 24 

Fe ruary 24-33 27-38 

March 22-34 2966 

April 25-01 29 82 

May 32-27 85-51 

June 31-83 34-18- 

July 23-41 82 53 

Au US' 22-61 37-06 

Sent-mber 25-00 40 80 

October 25-88 37.57 

The National Board of Health and its agents and employes have as- 
serted through the columns of the daily press, through the pages of the 
Bulletin of this National Board of Bealth and of the New Orleans 
Medical and Surgical Journal, edited by one of this organization, that 
yellow fever was propagated by the bark Excelsior, and that an indefi- 
nite number of cases occurred in and around New Orleans. 

If tha statements of the members, agents and employees of the Na- 
tional Board of Health be true, the mortuary records of the city of New 
Orleans should manifest the havoc created by this disease, the Board 
of Health and the entire medical profession of Louisiana to the con- 
trary notwithstanding. 

A critical examination of the mortuary records of New Orleans shows 
that the annual mortality per 1000 inhabitants was greater in the month 
of June, 1880. than in the corresponding month in 1874, 1875, 1878 and 
1879 ; 32 deaths were caused by the various forms of malarial fever, 5 
by typhoid, 6 by scarlet fever, 23 bv measles ; in July the death rate 
fell to 23.44, against 31.83 in the preceding month, and was lower than 
in any similar month during the preceding twelve years, 1869-1880 ; the 
death rate was even lower in August, being only 22.61, and lower than 
in the same month during the period embraced from 1869 to 1880 ; in 
September the death rate was only 25.00, and was less than that of any 
similar month, with the exception of September, 1879 ; and in October, 
when a death from yellow fever was reported, the death rate was only 
25.88, and was lower than the similar month, with the exception of 1876 
and 1877, in both of whnh years the mortality in October was slightly 
less. 

During the year 1880 the monthly rate of mortality in New Orleans 
compared favorably with those of all large cities in America and Jiu- 
rope, and an illustration of an important fact was offered, that in the 
absence of epidemic diseases the death rate of New Orleans may be 
actually lower in the hot months than in the colder months of the 
year. 

METEOBOLOGICAL BEPOET. 

New Orleans, December 31, 1880. 
2b the President and Member* of the Board of Health of the State of 
Louisiana : 

Gentlemen— I have the honor to submit the meteorological report for 
the year 1880 and to present, in connection therewith, the following 
tables of meteorlogical observations made by the United States Signal 
Service station of this city. 

Tables Nos. l to 12. The daily meteorological record of the year 1880, 
tabulated according to months. 

Table No. IS. The meteorological summary of the year 1880, with a 
record of the velocity of the wind, number of rainy days, total rain- 
fall and monthly observations. 

Table No. H A comparative meteorological summary of the annual 
means, eto., from 1873 to 1880 inclusive. 



46 LOUISIANA. 



Table No. 15. A comparative table showing the means of the hottest 
and coldest days and the dates of the first and last frosts of each year 
from 1873 to 1880, together with the number of thunder storms, and 
days on which lightning was observed during the last three years. 

Table No. 16. A table showing the direction of the winds least likely 
and most likely to be followed by rain for each month of the year, 
prepared from observations made at the United States Signal Service 
Station of the city during the last eight years. 

TEMPEEATUBE. 

The annual mean temperature of 1880, was 69.5° F. against 69.9° F. in 
1879. The hottest day of the past year was the 5th July, when the 
mean temperature was 85.7° F. The last frost appeared on January 24, 
and the first on November 16. The first ice of the season formed on 
November 19. three days after the first frost. The weather during the 
last week of December was extremely co !d, the mean temperature of 
the c ldest day, December 29, being as low as 26.2° F. In the meteor- 
ological tables (Nos. 1 to 12 inclusive) is given a complete record of the 
daily temperature, the maximum and minimum, with the mean of 
these two observations. During the month of June numerous thunder 
storms occurred, and the latter part of the month was cool and pleasant, 

KAIN-FALL. 

During the year 1880 the total rainfall was 69.86 inches, against 
51.27 inches in 1879 and 66.16 inches in the yellow-fever epidemic year of 
1878. Thunder storms during the past year were frequent, and thunder 
and lightning were observed on eighty-two days. In 1879 thunder was 
noted on forty-one days, and in 1878, the epidemic yellow-fever year, 
only on thirteen days. The number of days on which rain fell in 1880 
was 185 against 134 in 1879 and 122 in 1878. As to what constitutes a 
rainy day is not settled, but the fall of .01 inch of rain, as suggested by 
Mr. G. J. Symons, the well known English observer, is generally 
adopted. The Signal Service, however, calls those days rainy days 
only on which the fall of rain can be measured. Owing to the proxim- 
ity of New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico, the annual rainfall is gen- 
erally heavy, but it never equals the famous rainfall recorded in met- 
eorological works to have taken place on the Khasia Hills of the Bay 
of Bengal, where one year the annual rainfall was 600 inches, about 
500 inches of which fell in seven months, during the southwest mon- 
soons. According to Buchan, the United States are chiefly depen- 
dent for their rain, not on the Pacific Ocean, but on the Gulf of Mex- 
ico. In his work on meteorology, he says that "the high range of the 
Rocky Mountains in Central America [North America] plays an impor- 
tant part in the rainfall. In the northern parts they drain westerly 
winds of their moisture as they cross them. Further south they pre- 
sent a barrier to the passage of the easterly winds which blow 
across the Gulf of Mexico, which are partly on account of the 
heated plains of the States, turned or drawn to the northward, and 
spread themselves over the States, especially over the low basin of the 
Mississippi. Thus, then, the greatest part of the moisture will be drawn 
into the valleys where the heat is greatest, and the least part into the 
high mountainous regions, where respectively it will be disengaged 
and fall in rain. If this be the case, ttien the greatest quantity will 
fall in the valleys, and the least on the higher grounds— a mode of dis- 
tribution the opposite of what obtains in Europe. That such is the 
case, the following remarks by Blodget on the rainfall of America, 
given in the Army Meteorological Begister, will show : ' for much the 
larger area of the United States, and for all portions east of the Rocky 
Mountains, the distinguishing feature of the distribution of the rainfall 
is its symmetry and uniformity in amount over large areas. The quan- 
tity has rarely or never any positive relation to the configuration of the 
surface which would identify it with Europe and the North Pacific 



METEOROLOGICAL REPORT. 



47 



coasts ; and in contrast to these it has a diminished quantity at greater 
altitudes generally, and the largest amounts in the districts near the 
sea level. It also differs from these districts, and from large land areas 
generally, in having a larger amount in the interior than on the coast, 
ior the same latitude, at least as far north as latitude 42°.' The rainiest 
districts are Florida, the low flats of the Mississippi, then along the 
course of its valley, then in Iowa, that remarkable depression at the 
head of the river; and the least quantities on the Allegbanies, espe- 
cially their higher parts, and the high grounds of the Missouri district. " 
The heaviest rainfall during the year 1880 occurred on the 8th of 
March, when 2.81 inches of rain fell. The next heaviest rainfalls were 
on May 27th, of 2.06 inches, and on December 27th, of 2 inches. Owing 
to the favorable spring and summer, the crops of sugar and cotton 
throughout the State promised to be abundant until the month No- 
vember, when a series of storms visited many portions of the State and 
caused great damage. During the thirty days of this month rain fell on 
twenty-two, on nineteen of which the rainfall measured 6.04 inches. 

HUMIDITY. 

By reference to table No. 14 it will be seen that the annual mean 
relative humidity of 1880 was 73 per cent., against 70 of 1879 and 74 of 
1878. Eelative humidity, or, as it is also called, the humidity of the 
air, means the degree of its approach to complete saturation, dry air 
being assumed as o and saturation as 100, and should not be confounded 
with absolute humidity. The Signal Service report for 1880 is not yet 
published, and for the sake of comparison the following table from the 
report of 1879 of the annual mean relative humidity and the annual 
mean temperature of several points in the United States, is annexed : 

tear 1879. 





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WINDS. 

The annual mean maximum velocity of the wind was thirty-six miles 
per hour, and the general direction of the wind was from the south- 
east. The greatest velocity was attained in May, of thirty-six miles per 
hour, when the prevailing wind was from the east. 

WEATHER INDICATIONS. 

The attention of the Board is called to table No. 16, prepared by Sig- 
nal Officer Dunne, from a record of observations made during the last 
eight years. Although not properly within the scope of this report, l 
have deemed it to be of sufficient importance to have it inserted for 
future reference. 

I have the honor to be, gentlemen, your obedient servant, 

JAMES S. ZACHARIE, Clerk. 
AVERAGE RAEFFALL OF DIFFERENT STATES. 

Kansas, Texas, Indian Territory, 20 to 32 inches in rain. 

Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, 32 
to 44 inches of rain. 

Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, 44 to 56 inches of rain. 

Louisiana, 56 to 65 inches of rain. 



48 



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5j. LOUISIANA. 



CAPACITY OF LOUISIANA FOR POPULATION. 

Louisiana has only about 21 inhabitants to the square 
mile. France 178 inhabitants to the square mile. The 
same ratio of population would give Louisiana over seven 
and one half million of inhabitants. "With the manufac- 
ture of our agricultural products at home, there is no 
question of the capacity of the State for supporting even 
a population of fifteen millions. 



CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, 

1879. 

BILL OF RIGHTS. 

Article 1. All government of right originates with the people, is 
founded on their will alone, and is instituted solely for the good of the 
whole, deriving its just powers from the consent of the governed. 
Its only legitimate end is to protect the citizen in the enjoyment of life, 
liberty and property. When it assumes other functions it is usurpa- 
tion and oppression. 

Art. 2. The right of the people to be secure in tneir persons, houses, 
papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not 
be violated, and no warrant shall issue except upon probable cause, 
supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place 
to be searched and the persons or things to be seized. 

Art. 3. A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a 
free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be 
abridged. This shall not prevent the passage of laws to punish those 
who carry weapons concealed. 

Art. 4. No law shall be passed respecting an establishment of re- 
ligion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom 
of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to as- 
semble and petition the government for a redress of grievances. 

Art. 5. There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in 
this State otherwise than for the punishment of crime, whereof the 
party shall have been duly convicted. Prosecutions shall be by in- 
dictment or information ; provided, that no person shall be held to 
answer for a capital crime unless on a presentment or indictment by a 
grand jury, except in cases arising in the militia when in actual service 
in time of war or public danger, nor shall any person be twice put in 
jeopardy of life or liberty for the same offense, except on his own ap- 
plication for a new trial, or where there is a mistrial, or a motion in 
arrest of judgment is sustained. 

Art. 6. No person shall be compelled to give evidence against him- 
self in a criminal case or in any proceeding that may subject him to 
criminal prosecution, except where otherwise provided in this constitu- 
tion, nor be deprived of life, liberty or property without due proess of 
law. 

Art. 7. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the 
right to a speedy public trial by an impartial jury, except that in cases 
where the penalty is not necessarily imprisionment at hard labor or 



CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE. 65 



death, the General Assembly may provide for the trial thereof by a 
iurv less than twelve in number ; provided that the accused in every 
instance shall be tried in the parish, wherein the offense shall have 
been committed, except in cases of change of venue. . 

Aet 8 In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the right 
to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be con- 
fronted with the witnesses against him, to have compulsory process 
for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to defend himself, and to have 
the assistance of counsel and to have the right to challenge jurors per- 
emptorily, the number of challenges to be fixed by statute . 

Art. 9. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines be 
imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted. All persons 
shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, unless for capital offenses where 
the proof is evident or the presumption great or unless after convic- 
tion for any crime or offense punishable with death or imprisonment at 

a \RT 10 The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be sus- 
pended, unless when in case of rebellion or invasion the public safety 

m ART e il U1 All courts shall be open, and every person for injury done 
him iu his rights, lands, goods, person or reputation shaJ have ade- 
quate remedy by due process of law and justice administered without 
denial or unreasonable delay. 

\ur 12 The military shall be in subordination to the civil power. 

Irt' 13 This enumeration of rights shall not be construed to deny 
or impair other rights of the people not herein expressed. 

FRANCHISE. 

^rt 185 Every male citizen of the United States, and every male 
person of foreign birth who has been naturalized, or who may have 
legally declared his intention to become a citizen of the United states 
before he offers to vote, who is twenty-one years old or upwards, pos- 
sessine the following qualifications, shall be an elector and shall be 
entitled to vote at any election by the people, except as hereinafter 

provK e ^ aU be an ^ ctual res i c i ea t of the State at least one year next 
preceding the election at which he offers to vote. _ . 

2 He shall be an actual resident of the parish in which he offers to 
vote at least six months next preceding the election. _ _ 

3 He shall be an actual resident of the ward or precinet in which he 
offers to vote at least thirty days next preceding the election. 

Art 187 The following persons shall not be permitted to register, 
vote or hold any office or appointment of honor, profit or trust in this 
State, to wit : „ A , . . . 

Those who shall have been convicted of treason, embezzlement or 
public funds, malfeasance in office, larceny, bribery, illegal voting, or 
other crime punishable by hard labor or imprisonment in the peni- 
tentiary, idiots and insane persons. • 

Art '188 No qualification of any kind for suffrage or office, nor any 
restraint upon the same, on account of race, color or previous condi- 
tian shall be made by law. 

PROPERTY EXEMPT FROM TAXATION. 

Art 207 The following propertv shall be exempt from taxation, 
and no other, viz : All public property, places of religious worship or 
burial all charitable institutions, all buildings and property used ex- 
clusivelv for colleges or other school purposes, the real and personal 
estate of any public library and that of any other literary association 
used by or connected with such library, all books and philosophical 
apparatus, and all paintings and statuary of any company or associa- 
tion kept in a public hall ; provided, the property so exempted be not 



56 LOUISIANA. 



used or leased for purposes of private or corporate profit or income. 
There shall also be exempt from taxation, household property to the 
value of five hundred dollars. There shall also be exempt from taxa- 
tion and license for a period of ten years from the adoption of this con- 
stitution, the capital, machinery and other property employed in the 
manufacture of textile fabrics, leather, shoes, harness, saddlery, hats, 
flour, machinery, agricultural implements and furniture and other arti- 
cles of wood, marble or stone ; soap, stationery, ink and paper, boat 
building and chocolate ; provided, that not less than five hands are 
employed in any one factory. 

POLL TAX FOR SCHOOLS. 

Art. 208. The General Assembly shall levy an annual poll tax for the 
maintenance of public schools upon every male inhabitant in the State 
over the age of twenty-one years, which shall never be less than one 
dollar nor exceed one dollar and a half per capita, and the General 
Assembly shall pass laws to inforce payment of said tax. 

LIMITATION OF TAXATION. 

Art. 209. The State tax on property for all purposes whatever, in- 
cluding expense of government, schools, levees and interest shall not 
exceed in any one year six mills on the dollar of its assessed valuation, 
and no parish or municipal tax for all purposes whatsoever shall exceed 
ten mills on the dollar of valuation. 

HOMESTEADS AND EXEMPTIONS. 

Art. 219. There shall be exempt from seizure and sale by any process 
whatever, except as herein provided, the "homesteads" bona fide 
owned by the debtor and occupied by him, consisting of lands, build- 
ings and appurtenances, whether rural or urban ; of every head of a 
family, or persons having a mother or father, a person or persons de- 
pendent on him or her for support ; also, one work-horse, one wagon or 
cart, one yoke of oxen, two cows and calves, twenty-five head of hogs, 
or one thousand pounds of bacon or its equivalent in pork, whether 
these exempted objects be attached to a homestead or not, and on a 
farm the necessary quantity of corn and fodder for the current year, 
and the necessary farming implements to the value of two thousand 
dollars. 

LEGAL PROVISIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST. 

No greater personal rights are granted to immigrants in any part of 
the world than in Louisiana. Every man thinks, speaks and votes as 
he pleases. If he is injured in person, property or character the law 
affords a certain and speedy remedy, and will rigorously enforce his 
rights. The laws grant a lien upon property in favor of laborers, 
mechanics and landlords. 

There is no imprisonment for debt, and a reasonable amount of prop- 
erty is exempt from seizure and sale. There is perfect freedom of re- 
ligious opinion and tolerance of all sects. The people choose their 
own officers, and the ballot of the poor man is as strong as that of the 
rich. Any citizen of the State, although born in a foreign country, can 
hold office. The homestead exemption will prevent any creditor from 
taking away the home of your family. 

No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due 
process of law. 

Every person has the right to defend his own case either in person or 
by attorney. 

Every person charged with an offense against the laws of the State 
has the privilege and benefit of counsel, is entitled on demand to a 
copy of the accusation, a list of the witnesses on whose testimony the 
charge is made, and shall have compulsory process to obtain the tes- 



THE QUESTION OF WAGES. 57 



timony of his own witnesses; shall be confronted by the witnesses tes- 
tifying against him, and shall have a public and speedy trial by an im- 
partial jury. 

The State tax, for all purposes whatsoever, shall never be more than 
60 cents on the $100, and the Parish tax shall never be more, that $1 on 
the $100. 

Perfect freedom to worship God according to the dictates of his own 
conscience is guaranteed to every citizen. 

No inhabitant of this State shall be molested in person or property, 
or prohibited from holding any public office or trust, on account of his 
religious belief. 

No law shall ever be passed to curtail or restrain the liberty of speech 
or qf the press. 

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers 
and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be vio- 
lated ; and no warrant shall issue except upon probable cause, sup- 
port ed. by oath or affirmation, paticularly describing the place or 
places to be searched, and the person or things to be seized. 

The social status of the citizen shall never be the subject of legisla- 
tion. 

The right of the people peaceably to assemble, and by petition or re- 
monstrance, apply to the government for a redress of their grievances, 
shall not be denied. 

No conviction shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture of estate. 

Private property shall not be taken nor damaged for public purposes 
without just and adequate compensation to the owner. 

No ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, 
shall be passed. 

Differences between citizens may be legally decided by arbitration 
without going to law. 

The military shall be in subordination to the civil power, and no sol- 
dier shall in time of peace, be quartered in anv house without the con- 
sent of the owner. 

Gambling is forbidden under heavy penalty. 

Any person convicted of giving or taking a' bribe, is forever disquali- 
fied from holding office. 

Grand jurors are drawn from the body of the people, and must be ex- 
perienced, intelligent and upright men. Traverse jurors are drawn in 
the same way. and must be intelligent and upright men. 

The laws of the State, protect laborers on buildings, streets, roads, rail- 
roads, canals and other similar works, against the failure of contrac- 
tors and sub-contractors to pay their current wages when due, and 
make the corporation, company or individual for whose benefit the 
work is done responsible for their ultimate payment. 



THE QUESTION OF WAGES. 

The laborer on a sugar plantation in Louisiana, during the cultiva- 
tion of the crop receives 75 cents per day, and during the "rolling" or 
sugar making season $1.50. In addition" to wages, he is furnished, free 
of charge, rations, house, fuel and garden plot. The following esti- 
mate will furnish a comparison of wages paid north and south. 

8 



58 LOUISIANA. 



ON LOUISIANA SUGAR PLANTATION. 

9 month's labor (234 days) at 75 cents per day $175.50 

3 month's labor (78 days) at $1.50 per day 117.00 

12 month's rations at 12J cents per day 45.60 

12 month's rent of cabin 25.00 

12 month's fuel 10.00 

12' month's rent of garden plot 5.00 

Total wages of laborer one year $378.10 

ON LOUISIANA COTTON PLANTATION. 

12 month's labor at $15.00 per month ....$180.00 

12 month's rations, fuel, cabin and garden rent 85.60 

Total wages of laborer one year $265.60 

COMMON LABORERS WAGES AT THE NORTH. 

313 days' labor at $1.10 per day $344.30 

Deducting house rent $75.00 

Deducting fuel 25.00 

Deducting food .100.00 200.00 

Net wages of laborer one year $144.30 

It will be seen that the money realized by the laborer, on the Louis- 
iana sugar plantation amounts to the sum of $292.50 and on the cotton 
plantation, to $180.00. To each of these amounts should be added 
$85.60, the value of necessaries furnished the laborer without charge. 
Under the tenant system which prevails generally in the cotton region, 
and is extending also to the sugar plantations, the amount received by 
the industrious laborer is even greater. Besides the pecuniary advan- 
tages, the climatic advantage, reduces the cost of food and clothing far 
below what these items must cost the farm laborer of the North. 



MINERAL RESOURCES OP LOUISIANA. 

BY JOSEPH JONES, M. D. 

The cretaceous, tertiary and post tertiary are the only formations 
which appear in Louisiana. 

The cretaceous strata appears in a very few isolated outcrops in St. 
Landry and "Winn parishes, and has been pierced in several localities 
in boring artesian wells. 

The tertiary forms the basis of the upland region of the State. 

The post tertiary forms almost everywhere the surface, and is of the 
greatest practical importance to the agriculturist. 

The cretaceous strata probably underlies the whole State, rising 
nearer the surface than elsewhere in Winn parish, Chicot and Petit 

Cretaceous limestone of good quality for burning into lime, and of 
sufficient hardness to be used as a building stone, outcrops in St. Lan- 
dry, about seven miles west of Chicot, and upon several points upon 
lower Saline Bayou. 

The cretaceous strata have been penetrated in boring artesian wells 
at Drake's salt works, on Bayou Saline, King's, in Castor, and the sul- 
phur well in Calcasieu. 



MINERAL RESOURCES. 59 



SULPHUR AND GYPSUM. 

A remarkable deposit of sulphur occurs at Calcasieu. The following 
is a section of the well : 

1. 160 feet blue clay and layers of sand, 

2. 178 feet sand. 

3. 10 feet clay rock (soapstone.) 

4. 40 feet blue anthiconitic limestone, fissured. 

5. 60 feet gray limestone. 

6. 100 feet pure crystalline sulphur. 

7. 137 feet gypsum, with sulphur. 

8. 10 feet sulphur. 

9. 540 feet gypsum, grayish hue. 

The first four strata were all more or less oil bearing, 

The sulphur is of unequaled thickness and purity, and the gypsum 
is also of superior quality. 

This deposit alone is capable of supplying the entire country with 
sulphur and gypsum. 

From the sulphur may be manufactured sulphuric acid, so impor- 
tant in the arts and agriculture. 

SALT. 

Salines occur in various portions of the State, and the rich supplies 
must necessarily excite the attention of capitalists. 

North of Eed Kiver, in Bienville and Bossier parishes, there are im- 
mense quantities of saline waters and saliferous deposits, the latter 
being especially found in the beds of ancient lakes. In the low flat 
beds of these basins, which lie below the ordinary level of the country, 
the wells are sunk to a depth of from twelve to twenty feet, where the 
salt water percolates through the soil and furnishes an abundant daily 
supply. This is boiled in kettles, and each well furnishes from twenty 
to twenty-five bushels of salt per day. 

In a line beginning about twenty miles west of the mouth of the 
Atchafalaya, on the coast of Belle Isle, and running nearlv due east, 
are ranged five islands, Belle Isle, Cote Blanche, Week's Island, Petit 
Anse and Miller's Island. 

The islands rise from the low marsh and prairies by .vhich they are 
surrounded, and form mounds of various sizes. The chief of them is 
Petit Anse (Avery's Island), which is 185 feet above the sea-tide level, 
and contains an immense deposit of common salt. Petit Anse is situ- 
ated in Bayou Petit Anse, six miles from the north shore of Vermilion 
Bay, which is an arm of the Gulf. It is fifteen miles to the mouth of 
that bay, where there is a fine land-locked harbor of eight feet depth. 

The following are the general results of my chemical analysis of 
Louisiana rock "salt : Louisiana rock salt presents the form, appearance 
and optical properties of pure chloride of sodium. The large crystal- 
line masses are so perfectly transparent, free from all extraneous mat- 
ter, and uniform in their structure and density, that they would be 
suitable in all respects for the most delicate philosophical experiments 
upon the transmission of light through different media. 

The sample of Louisiana salt submitted to analysis, as well as the 
largest masses, weighing several tons, are the purest and finest samples 
of rock salt that have ever come under my observation. 

One hundred grains Louisiana rock salt yield upon analysis : 

Chloride of sodium 99 G17 

Sulphate of lime , .3ig 

Sulphate of magnesia 0.062 

Moisture (dried at 300 degrees) 0,093 

The Louisiana rock salt contains less than one-half of one per cent. 
(0.473) of those substances which may be considered as foreign, viz : 
moisture and sulphates of lime and magnesia, which are found in 



GO LOUISIANA. 



greater or less quantities, according to their purity, in almost all sam- 
ples of salt. 

The absence of both chloride of calcium and chloride of magne- 
sium is important, as these salts abstract moisture readily from the 
atmosphere ; and when existing even to a limited extent in salt, impair 
more or less its value by rendering it more hydroscopic. Meats cured 
with salt abounding with the chloride of calcium are more prone to 
absorb moisture from the atmosphere. 

PETROLEUM. 

The oil springs of the Louisiana Petroleum Coal Oil Company are 
situated in Calcasieu parish, about sixty miles from the coast. The 
oil spring contains large masses of asphaltum, which were formed by 
the oil becoming inspissated. Carburetted hydrogen gas passes out of 
the springs in a forcible and continuous stream, and when conducted 
in tubes can be employed for illuminating and heating purposes. 

It is supposed that petroleum underlies this section of country, and 
that in the hands of experienced engineers quantities of this valuable 
material will be oblained. 

COAL. 

Lignite deposits of various degrees of purity and value underlie 
nearly the whole upland country, from the Sabine to the Ouachita 
rivers. The coal makes an excellent fuel and has been used in Shreve- 
port. 

PEAT. 

Valuable deposits of peat are found in many places near the coast, 
and will, when reached by railroads, furnish large supplies of fuel. 

IRON. 

Iron ore of good quality is scattered in immense qualities over an 
extensive surface of Louisiana. South of Red River iron ore is found 
from Ouachita to Badian River, and from the Arkansas line it extends 
nearly to Red River ; south of this it appears in De Soto, Natchitoches, 
Rapides and Sabine. Bienville parish is singularly rich in iron ore. 
Lime and inexhaustible forests of pine and oak, from which the neces- 
sary flux and charcoal may be obtained, accompany the beds of iron 
ore. 

GYPSUM, 

This valuable fertilizing material is found in large quantities in the 
saline basins of North Louisiana, and the fertilizing properties of the 
waters of Red River have been justly attributed to the vast stores of 
this material washed down by its numerous tributaries. 

We might also enumerate marls, and pigments, and clays of fine 
quality, and the nitrate and carbonate of soda amongst the mineral 
resources of Louisiana. 

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT NEW ORLEANS. 

As an indication of the temperature of New Orleans, we give the fol- 
lowing report from the signal officer in charge in that city : 



i March. 
Spring 58.8^ April. 

( May. 

( June. 
Summer 71.2 ■{ July. 

( August. 



( September 
Autumn 81.0 J October. 

I November. 

( December. 
Winter 67.1^ January. 

( February 



(Signed) L.. DUNNE, 

Sergeant Signal Corps, U. S. A. 
New Orleans, March 24, 1881. 



ANALYSIS OF MOLASSES. 



61 



ANALYSIS OF NORTHERN, CUBA AND LOUISIANA MOLASSES. 

Composition of 100,000 Grains, or very nearly One Gallon of Louisiana, 
Cuba and Northern Molasses, by Joseph Jones, M. D. t of New Or- 
leans, La.: 



Specified gravity— grains 

Both varieties sugar. . 

Crystallyzable and uncrystallyzable 

Crystallyzable sugar 

Uon-crystallyzable Sugar 

Acetates and carbonates of soda and potas 



sium 

Carb. , glucate and acetate of lime 

Sulphate of lime 

Chlorides of sodium and potassium . . . 
Acetate glucate and sulphate of iron. 



Total salient ingredients. 
Wei ght of one gallon _^ 



-100,000 grains contaiu- 



° w5 



76 297 
69 778 
16 921 



123 

204 
223 



3 a 



1,366 

66.66S 
43.13+ 
23 531 

5D1 
905 
363 
1.054 
175 



550 3 000 
96 446! 95 648 



MO 



55 556 
58,889 
26.665 

697 

1.113 

370 

1,277 
288 



3 750 
97,419 






57,142 
28 571 
38 871 

241 

358 
612 
783 
500 



2.500 
96 075 



fcS 



1391 

57.142 
26,373 
30 769 

626 
468 
801 
1012 
490 



2.500 
9J 491 



The percentage of the different ingredients may readily be deter- 
mined in this table simply by cutting off the last three figures. 

The following conclusions have been drawn from my chemical an- 
alysis of the different variety of molasses : 

1. The Louisiana molasses is decidedly superior in appearance and 
taste to the other varieties of molasses offered in this market. 

2. The proportion of crystallizable sugar is greatest in Louisiana 
molasses, whilst the proportion of uncrystallizable sugar is the least. 
The Louisiana molasses is, therefore, the most valuable and the best 
suited to the purposes of the candy manufacturer, confectioner And 
baker. 

3. The Louisiana molasses contains far less inorganic salts than the 
other varieties of molasses. Thus a gallon of Louisiana molasses does 
not contain over four hundred grains of salt, while the Northern molasses 
contains from twenty-five hundred to three thousand seven hundred 
grains. This is a point of great interest, not only because these salts 
interfere with the crystallization of the cane sugar, but also, because 
they act as purgatives upon the bowels. The Louisiana molasses 
may be considered as almost entirely free from these impurities. 

4. The Louisiana molasses is entirely free from iron salts, whilst 
in the samples of Northern syrups the salts of iron vary from 280 to 
500 grains per gallon. These salts of iron are injurious to the health, 
and especially to children, and at the same time they blacken and 
injure the teeth. 

5. In every respo^t the Louisiana molasses is superior to each of the 
other samples of molasses, and combines richness and purity of com- 

Eosition with an elegant appearance, pure taste and wholesome action, 
louisiana molasses is fourfold more valuable than the Northern 
molasses. 



B2 LOUISIANA. 



THE NEW ORLEANS PACIFIC RAILWAY, AND 
ITS RELATIONS TO THE IMMIGRANT. 

The commercial value of every thing depends upon its availibility — 
upon the power it possesses of being easily converted into commodities 
not enjoyed by its holder. Gold, in the hands of a solitary castaway 
upon a desert island, becomes dross, and the most fertile lands in the 
world, when inaccessible to markets, become of little more value than 
the adjacent swamps. To their possessor they contribute none of its 
luxuries, and with little stimulant to realize from his labor more than 
a scanty subsistance. 

The question must have arisen in the mind of even the most casual 
reader of the foregoing pages, if these statements are true why is it 
that one of the oldest, and most fertile States in the Union ; a State pos- 
sessing a climate unsurpassed for salubrity and one also having a com- 
mercial metropolis, that thirty years ago was the rival of New York- 
should, at this late day, be inviting the immigrant to settle within its 
borders, and at the same time offering to him inducements, both in the 
price of its lands, and every substantial comfort of life, that is un- 
known in the rigorous and inclement Northwest? 

The answer to this very question was the initial idea that resulted in 
the building of the New Orleans Pacific Railway. It was known to the 
projectors of this magnificent enterprise that no State of the Union pre- 
sented so many and so varied attractions to the husbandman ; that its 
soil was deep, rich and easily cultivated ; that its climate, in point of 
healthiulness, has no equal on the continent ; that the products of its 
soil could never be a glut in any market, because the demand for them 
was wide as the bounds of civilization, and that it was capable of sus- 
taining a population equal to that of Illinois or Ohio. Notwithstand- 
ing all these positive advantages, the tide of immigration has con- 
tinued, mainly in an unbroken current, to the northern territories and 
chiefly to those regions iri Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Montana 
where, owing to the severity of the climate, the farmer is compelled to 
rely mainlyfor his accurnmulations upon two or three of the most 
hardy cereals. The reason for this is that the northern, and, by na- 
ture, more uninviting region, was supplied with a constant, safe, cheap 
and rapid means of transit to the great distributing points of the coun- 
try. While Louisiana depended principally upon a slow and, at some 
seasons of the year, a precarious means of transporting the products of 
the soil to market. 

This recognized fact was the inception of the New Orleans Pacific 
Railway, an enterprise which, however it may result to its projectors 
and builders, is destined to have a more important influence for the 
good of the State at large than any other similar work now in contem- 
plation. It will open to the settler millions of acres of the most pro- 
ductive land in the State ; it will build thriving villages along its en- 
tire line; it will increase, to an incalculable extent, the number of 
manufacturing industries, and it*will not only furnish to the settler a 
rapid means for the conveyance of his surplus crops to market, but 
will also create hundreds of local markets along its route. The im- 
portance of this great trunk line, in directing the attention of those 
who are contemplating the building for themselves new homes, is a 
fact not easy to estimate, and a few of them may be considered in de- 
tail. 

The road runs from New Orleans northwesterly for more than three 
hundred miles through the Red River and Mississippi Valleys, and 
traverses the parishes of Caddo, De Soto, Natchitoches, Rapides, Avoy- 
elles, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. James, St. 



NEW ORLEANS PACIFIC RAILWAY. 63 



Charles, some seventeen parishes in all. Upon its line are some of tho 
most important towns in the State west of Red River, and among such 
are Shreyeport, Mansfield, Alexandria, Plaquemine, Donaldsonville 
and others of lesser note. These places afford growing and permanent 
markets for most of the produce that is grown in their vicinity. But 
in importance as a market, New Orleans cannot be overestimated. 
This city has a population of 215,000, every soul of whom is not only a 
non-producer of agricultural products, but at the same time a large 
consumer of them. Take the item of grain alone, and New Orleans 
furnishes a market for domestic consumption alone of 3,440,000 bushels, 
the statistics of this country showing the consumption of grain to be 
about sixteen bushels per capita. In this amount is included, of course, 
the quantity fed to such domestic animals as are employed by the peo- 
ple, as the oats and corn to the horses, as well as that consumed by 
man, ana in cities the consumption of grain by domestic animals is 
larger than in the country, where more bulky feed is given which will 
not bear the expense of transportation as well as the cereals. 

Add to this consumption of the grains, the meats of various kinds, 
vegetables, fruits of every variety, milk, butter and cheese, and it 
ought to require no very lengthy argument to convince the settler that 
by locating upon the line of the New Orleans Pacific Railway he will 
always have, almost at his door, a cash market for every product of 
his field. 

As the tendency of popul^'Ton in this country is to the cities rather 
than to the country, it is evident tuat the demands of New Orleans will 
more than keep pace with the supply. No one need be told that those 
nearest to market are always in the best position to take advantages of 
its fluctuations, and are better able to realize the highest prices for 
their products, than those more remotely located. 

However important New Orleans may be as a domestic market, it is 
daily acquiring a prominence as an exporting point that bids fair to 
make her the chief commercial city south of Baltimore. Already the 
large shipments of grain down the Mississippi river are creating na- 
tional comment, and causing serious apprehensions at those Northern 
cities which have heretofore enjoyed a monopoly of the trade of the 
great valley. Whatever adds to the commercial importance of New 
Orleans, is a direct benefit to the agriculturists of the State of Louis- 
iana, for the greater its importance the more it will be sought by 
foreign traders, and the more reliable it becomes as a market. The 
maintainance of permanent deep water at the mouth of the river, as- 
sures to the city an importance that no gulf port enjoys, or can rival. 
The New Orleans Pacific Railway gives to Arkansas, Northern Louis- 
iana, Northern Texas, and in fact the whole cotton belt west of the 
Red River, the shortest possible routes to tide water, and the cotton, 
grain, and tobacco that has heretofore been compelled to seek an 
outlet, via St. Louis, at New York, Baltimore or Philadelphia, will, 
upon the completion of this line, be saved the expense of transporta- 
tion by rail for nearly 1,200 miles to reach tide water. The producer 
pays the cost of transportation always, and the cotton-grower who 
sends his bales by the longer route receives just so much less for his 

Sroduct, as it costs him to transport it to market. Cotton grown in 
'orthern Texas brings the same price in New Orleans, and no more, 
as cotton grown in Southern Louisiana, but the producer nearest to 
market makes as additional profit, the difference in freightage be- 
tween the longer and shorter distance. This tf itself is an item, which, 
like interest, is small where taken in isolated cases but in the aggre- 
gate and computed year after year, becomes an enormous sum. It is 
an item fully worth estimating in selecting a spot both for a home and 
to prosecute the business of agriculture to the best advantage. 
The settler upon the line x>i the New OFleans Pacific Railway, will 



64 LOUISIANA. 



always have the choice of two « routes to market. It is an old adage, 
that competition is the life ol^traVIe, and in no department of business 
does it apply with more force, than to that of the common carrier, it 
is an axiom." that the cheaper route always fixes the price for the con- 
veyance of freight. Take the rates of freight on grain between Chi- 
cago and New York, and they are just one-third less m the summer, 
when the Lakes and Canals are open, than in the winter when they 
are closed, and the rule applies with equal force in the winter as be- 
tween the the different lines of roads and as in the summer between 
the roads and boats. The winter rates are always based upon 
the shortest route, and longest lines carry for the same rates as the 
shortest. The advantages 6t Southern over Northern water routes is 
that they are always open, and no danger can exist that colds or frosts 
will ever close the Red and lower Mississippi Rivers, so as to give to 
any railroad the monopoly of the carrying trade for any portion of the 
year, and the history of transportation routes in Europe, as well as in 
this country, shows that when railroads aud water courses are in com- 
petition, the rates of the cheaper system always maintain. 

The advantages which these two competitions offer to the emigrant 
are of vast moment, and, as between giving to a region thus amply 
provided with the means of transportation, in preference to settling™ 
one where only one system, and that usually a new and imperfect one, 
is in vogue, it would seem that common foresight and prudence would, 
other things being equal, select the former. 

Again, the territory along the line of the New Orleans Pacific Railway 
offers to the settler the advantage of a perfect social system, which is 
of itself the growth of years and the result of vast expenditures of 
money. In Louisiana, laws are old, well settled and defined by a long 
Mne of judicial decisions, as thorough as in any of Northern or Eastern 
States ; an educational system is in force that has been tried for years, 
and has become as nearly perfect as that of any State in the Imion; 
school-houses are built and the advantages of higher education are 
ample in all of the larger places in the State. Roads are laid out and 
worked, and the meansx>f communication between districts are equaled 
only in the older and richer States. Churches of all denominations 
are everywhere to be seen, and nothing is left to the immigrant- but to 
locate his land and begin his labors in a region abundantly supplied 
with all the essentials of cultivated and refined life. What a contrast 
is such a commencement with the taking of a homestead in one of the 
Northern territories, where nothing is to be seen but a broad expanse 
of barren prairie, without a school-house or village in sight; without 
roads, without settled and defined laws for the protection of person or 
property ; in such a case the settler is as isolated as Crusoe on his 
island. ' He is without neighbors or associates, and his family must be 
reared without schools and newspapers, and among associates who 
have sought the frontier because land was cheap. There is, in fact, no 
other inducement for the immigrant to seek such a home. However 
congenial such an isolated existence may have been to one like Laniel 
Boone, who always moved further into the wilderness '"where neigh- 
bors were within twenty miles of his cabin," it is questionable whether 
a man has the moral right to so isolate his family that they are com- 
pelled to forego all social pleasures and live deprived not only of moral 
and religious" instruction, but of that social intercourse which is de- 
manded by man's own nature, and constitutes the highest enjoyment 
of life. J 

There are few roads in the country that open up so much valuable 
territory as the New Orleans Pacific Railway, and the settler is not 
compelled to locate within sound of its locomotive whistle to receive 
all the advantages it will confer on the people. The road crosses a 
large number of streams, tributary to the Red and Mississippi Rivers, 
which are, to a greater or less degree, navigable, and penetiate far into 



NEW ORLEANS PACIFIC RAILWAY. 65 



the country. These streams furnish facilities for reaching the railroad, 
which are of vast importance for the conveyance of the products of the 
soil, especially the more bulky, like cotton, tobacco, and the various 
grains, which are not easily transported by domestic conveyance. The 
land upon these streams is of a rich, alluvial deposit, and is widely 
noted for its fertility. Among the streams thus intersected are the 
Grand, the Atchafalaya, Teche, Cosatche, and others of lesser import- 
ance. The navigation of these streams is open the whole year, and it 
is worthy of mention that they are in their best condition for such use 
at those seasons of the year, the spring and fall, when there is the 
greatest demand for their employment. A good deal of stress is laid 
upon the fact that the New Orleans Pacific Railway furnishes an outlet 
to market for the product of the soil, bu^ the corollary of that proposi- 
tion may be urged with equal force, viz : that it also furnishes the set- 
tler with a means of obtaining from market those commodities and 
appliances which he demands, both for domestic consumption and for 
the prosecution of his labors. The road places him near a point 
where he can purchase his agricultural implements, seeds, clothing 
and groceries, at substantially first hands, and, at the same time, so 
near his own door that the cost of transportation is merely nominal. 

The management of the New Orleans Pacific Eailway recognizes 
the fact that the best business of a raihoad is a large and steady local 
traffic ; that, while through business brings large returns, it varies 
with the seasons and with the years, and requires constant care to 
secure and retain it, while the local traffic is steady and brings a per- 
manent income, increasing as the country developes its resources. 
While the management does not claim to be governed by other than 
business principles in building and operating its line of road, yet 
those principles are of such a nature that any one can see that it is 
for the best interest of the road to have tne rich fields along its line 
settled upon by a progressive, thrifty people who will cultivate the 
soil, develope the industries of the State, and build upon its line such 
thriving villages and towns as spring up along the routes of railroads 
upon the western frontier. It is for the best and most permanent in- 
terest of the road to offer every inducement to the immigrant and to 
use every effort, consistent with its business, to sustain him and to in- 
duce others to follow his example. This can only be done by a liberal 
policy in the transportation of the immigrant and his property to his 
new home, and by the adoption of such fair rates for the conveyance 
of both freight and passengers as shall be just to both him and the 
road itself. To such a policy, dictated, not only by common sense, 
but by justice and right, the New Orleans Pacific Eailway pledges it- 
self. Situated as both are, there can be no a itagonism between the 
road and its local patrons, for a system of extortionate rates would 
retard the development of the country and directly effect the volume 
of its local traffic and its receipts. 

Not only to the agriculturist does the New Orleans Pacific Railway 
present a means of improving his condition, but to all classes of labor- 
ers who are seeking new fields for employment. The building of a 
great line of railroad, creates an unusual and permanent demand for 
uearly every variety of labor. Villages spring up which demand lum- 
ber, brick and other material as well as the okill required to put them 
into buildings ; manufactories are built which use machinery and re- 
quire skilled labor to operate it ; goods are wanted and merchants and 
capitalists are demanded to provide them; and additional educational 
facilities are needed and teacht.s are sought to direct and control 
them. There is, in fact, no more inviting region in the United States 
than the valley of the Red River; and nowhere is there a greater de- 
mand for labor of everv form. The building of the New Orleans Pacific 
road, has already stimulated enterprise along its entire line, and 

9 



66 LOUISIANA. 



everything indicates an improvement and development, within the 
next few years, that will make the Bed Eiver Valley the garden of the 
South. 

The State Commissioner of Immigration at New Orleans; the officers 
of the New Orleans Pacific Eailway, or of the South-Western Immi- 
gration Company will gladly give to such as desire, all the information 
possible regarding the lands in any portion of Louisiana, and will ex- 
tend all possible facilities to enable such as are seeking homes in this 
region, in making a judicious selection. 



THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. 

The largest, most beautiful and most wealthy city of 
the South is New Orleans. Its streets are replete with 
elegance and its culture is equal to any in the world. An 
admirable view of its society, social and commercial pros- 
pects is presented in the following article, which we re- 
produce from the New Orleans Democrat: 

We are and must of necessity continue to be an agricultural people. 
It is true that the wealth of our forests and the useful minerals are 
varied and almost inexhaustible, and that the water-power of the State 
is nowhere excelled within an equal area on this continent ; yet the 
great variety of soils, yielding so generously to the labors of the hus- 
bandman, supplying all his wants; the mild temperature of our cli- 
mate, free from the rigidity of the Northern winters and from the ex- 
treme heat of the Southern summers, and our geographical position 
placing us in easy access to all the great markets of the world, must 
make agriculture our chief interest. Nature has not only indicated 
unmistakably the part we must, as a State, perform in the onward 
march of the world's progress, but with lavish hand has bountifully 
supplied us with every essential facility and means to encourage and 
aid us. Not only can we produce all the leading staple crops required 
for the sustenance of man and beast, but those articles of high com- 
mercial value and importance are found either to exist or the capacity 
for producing them in the greatest abundance and profusion. And 
when these truths in regard to our State shall become known abroad 
and appreciated at home, it will be found that no people on earth are 
better able to take care of themselves than the people of Louisiana. 
Nature has not only given us the capacity and ability to produce, but 
has generously provided manufacturing. Take, for example, the man- 
ufacture of cotton. In Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or other of the 
New England States, much of the pfoilts of manufacturing is absorbed 
by idle looms, locked up through long winter months by ice, or in the 
necessarily heavy outlay in heating apparatus required to keep them 
in motion. Fuel is abundant and cheap, and so is labor for operating. 
The extent and capacity of our water power is almost incalculable ; and 
these valuable and wonderfully munificent gifts of nature are not con- 
fined to any particular locality, but are scattered throughout the State. 

Now that the animosities and prejudices engendered by war are hap- 
pily subsiding and yielding to a more fraternal spirit; now that the 
delicate social and political relations between the races are being ad- 



TEE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. 67 



justed upon a better understanding of their nature; now that our gov- 
ernment, like the gracious atmosphere, is beginning to throw its foster- 
ing and protecting influence over and around all alike, we can con- 
fidently indulge the hope that an era of unexampled prosperity wil 
soon smile upon our beloved State. Already are these advantages be- 
ginning to attract attention and to awaken a widespread interest. The 
now of immigration to the North and West will necessarily turn south- 
ward. The rapid advance in the price of lands, which places them be- 
yond the reach of those of moderate means; the limited variety of 
products, with low prices and heavy tranpsortation to very distant mar- 
kets; the scarcity of timber; the constantly recurring failures to which 
the farmer is subjected from the ravages of insects and drouths ; the 
long and severe winters in which a large provision must be made for 
the keeping of stock ; these and many other disadvantages not known 
to our State, must soon enlist the attention of the intelligent immi- 
grant. Thousands of the better classes at the North are anxiously look- 
ing to the now quiet and peaceful South as a hope of escape from those 
disruptions of social order which unfortunately threaten to be a source 
of perpetual danger, not only to their industrial prosperity, but in- 
volving seriously the personal safety of the citizen. The turbulent 
spirit of their society must give it an unrest which will impel its more 
peaceable and law abiding people to seek that tranquility and repose 
now so happily prevailing in our State. And with our millions of acres 
of uncultivated lands which can be bought cheaply, and a population 
sturdy, honest, intelligent, law abiding and hospitable, to extend to 
them a warm and cordial welcome, the day is notdistant when Louisi- 
ana will receive its full share of immigrants with their energy, enter- 
prise and capital, that has in the past given such wonderful impetus to 
the progress of the young States of the Northwest. 

However flattering the present prospects may seem regarding the 
State at large, they can scarcely be said to equal those of its capitol 
city— the long acknowledged metropolis of the South — New Orleans. 
After nearly two decades of business adversity— periods which her 
commercial rivals have not failed to take advantage of, the Crescent 
City once more fairly mounts the crest of the wave of prosperity, 
and like a well-manned ship sets her prow toward the haven of 
success. With a harbor wherein may enter the largest ocean ships 
afloat ; a banking capital which may be increased as the occasion de- 
mands; ample and cheap tonnage to meet any possible requirement; 
and with unequalled facilities for the prompt and economical loading 
of vessels, New Orleans as a shipping port will, in the future as in the 
past, continue to challenge and defy competition. The capital of the 
associated banks of New Orleans at this time is about $5,000,000, while 
the clearings for the year ending August 31, 1880, exceeded those of the 
previous year by $60,360,486.42, a result to be partiaily attributed to the 
large improvement in the grain trade. It will be proper to state in this 
connection, however, that a very large amount of business during the 
year has been represented by private capital, and therefore does not 
figure in these clearings of the associated banks. In view of the an- 
ticipated increase in the trade of the citv during the season now open- 
ing, it is apparent that an increase in our banking capital must take 
place, although no urgent necessity at present may exist. The city of 
St. Louis, which has heretofore overshadowed us as a grain mai ket, 
and which has of late made some pretensions as a cotton market, has 
a banking capital of about $10,000,000 embraced in twenty-five banks, 
an amount that will be required by New Orleans to meet the demands 
growing out of its vastly augmented cotton and grain trades. An idea 
of the amount of tonnage that may be relied upon at the port of New 
Orleans maybe gathered from the statement furnished by the customs 
officials for the year ending July 31, 1880. From this it appears that 
1,321 vessels were entered, having a total tonnage of 1,244,046 tons, 



68 LOUISIANA. 



while the number of vessels cleared was 1,336, with a total tonnage of 
1,267,652. This statement includes coastwise vessels, American vessels 
from foreign ports and foreign vessels from foreign ports. 

As already intimated, no matter to what extent the exports from this 
port may be increased during the present season, there need be no ap- 
prehensions felt on the score of ocean transportation. With freights 
at |d b \ steam to Liverpool and f c to New York on cotton, and 8d on grain 
to Liverpool, shippers may rely upon having ample opportunities and 
speedy dispatch for their outward cargoes, while thu following tariff of 
charges render New Orleans incomparably the cheapest shipping port 
on the American continent: On cotton— Compressing 50c per bale, 
stevedoring 55c per bale for steamer, from 60 to 7uc for sailing vessels. 
including rolling. On grain--Trimming grain $1 50 to $2 50 per 1000 
bushels, "stowing sacks of grain 4c per sack, filling and sewing sack l\ 
to l|c per sack, including needles and twine ; lining ship lc per bushel. 
The rate of pilotage is as follows : Bar pilotage for steamers and sail- 
ing vessels, in and out, $4 50 per foot ; river pilotage, for steamer up and 
down, $80. Quarantine fees $20, harbormaster's fees $15 to $20. The 
eitv levee dues for steamer are 15c per ton register, for sailing vessels 
20c per ton up to 1000 tons, and all over 1000 at 15c per ton. Grain ves 
sels loaded' on the Algiers side of the river are required to pay only 
one-third of the city levee dues. The rate of towage is 40c per ton 
register. During the past year there has been an important increase 
in the exportation of cotton seed oil and oil cake ; the former reaching 
a total of 5,491,487 gallons— an excess of 1,858,296 gallons over the ex- 
ports of 1878-79. while the latter amounted to 163,906,963 pounds, being 
an increase of 41,312.263 over the exportations of the previous year. 
For the same period is also noted an increase of exports in wheat to 
the amount of 2,898,106 bushels ; in corn of 4,832,550 bushels, and in 
cotton of 99,994,827 pounds. Not only as-a domestic market and point 
of export does New Orleans offer advantages to those of the Southern 
and Western States who desire to sell their produce or ship it to foreign 
marts, but as a port of entry and? as a purchasing point, it has advan- 
tages fully equal or superior to those of any other American seaport. 
Connected as it is with English and continental ports by steamship 
lines and fleets of sailing vessels engaged in the cotton trade, and with 
all the chief cities of the North by regular steam lines that equal in 
capacity and elegance any of the coast lines of the country, it affords 
everv facility both for the importation of foreign wares at cheaper 
freights and the purchase of domestic goods at rates as low as can be 
obtained elsewhere in this country. Our merchants, buying from first 
hands, can offer as favorable terms as those of any other city on the 
continent. The supremacy of New Orleans as a cotton market is well 
evidenced by the number of cotton buyers from England and the con- 
tinent who are permanently established here. Ee presenting as they 
do the leading cotton firms of the world, their presence from year to 
year is an assurance that the Crescent City presents facilities for the 

Surchase and shipment of cotton which they cannot afford to forego, 
he superior depth of water furnished by our harbor, enabling ships of 
the largest class to load to their utmost capacity, insures the cheapest 
freights, while our port charges, as previously shown, are much more 
reasonable than those of other American ports. 



COTTON MANUFACTURE. 69 



THE CAPACITY OF NEW ORLEANS FOR COTTON 
MANUFACTURE. 

To the President and Members of the Chamber of Commerce of New 
Orleans : 

The undersigned, a committee appointed by the president of the 
Chamber of Commerce to inquire into and report upon the capacities 
of New Orleans for the manufacture of cotton goods, have had the 
same under consideration, and respectfully submit the following re- 
port: 

Eegarding the industrial employment of all the inhabitants of a city 
as essential to its prosperity, your committee are of opinion— 

1. That the retardation of progress which has befallen New Orleans, 
in oommon with all other cities chiefly dependent on the factorage of 
annual crops, with the resale of commodities produced elsewhere, is 
due to changes in the modes of conducting internal and foreign com- 
merce. . 

2. That to recover her former rate of progress it will be necessary for 
New Orleans to encourage the mixed industries of commerce and manu- 

3. That in adopting these mixed industries New Orleans possesses 
peculiar advantages for manufacturing into cloths and yarns the great 
staple of cotton, of which she is admitted to be the principal market 
in the world. 

As the capital invested in cotton spinning was in 1875 $20,368,000 and 
the product $20,225,000, it follows that the gross profit on investment 
was 96 per cent. It is to be remembered that the expense account 
which is to be deducted from this product is chiefly composed of wages, 
so that this immense addition to the value of the raw material accrues 
to the capital of the community in which these manufactures have 
been made. 

From this argument it would appear : 

1. That merely mercantile profits upon this resale of commodities 
have diminished with the improved agencies of competition. 

■?.. That city aggregations of people must be furnished with means of 
• i ployment adequate to self-subsistence. 

J 1 he inquiry then logically arises, Can New Orleans bring herself 
within this principle of self-subsistence for her population ? We pro- 
pose to show that she can do so. While such are the evidences of 
§ reparation for engaging in the production of general manufactures, 
;ew Orleans holds control of a single raw material which is sufficient 
to support, by direct and individual employment, a population of one 
or more millions. 

NEW ORLEANS AS A MANUFACTURING CITY. 

We will consider cursorily the advantages possessed by New Orleans 
in the three elements of manufacturing production. 

1. Subsistence.— The cost of food in a city seated at the mouth of a 
great river which brings the animal and cereal food of a vast and fer- 
tile interior in unlimited abundance, surrounded by a soil so prolific 
that her market is green at all seasons with vegetable food, while 
poultry, eggs and fish are marketed from the adjacent country, ought 
to be very moderate. Operatives employed in indoor industries may 
be subsisted upon these supplies on favorable terms. 

2. Bents.— Beal estate in New Orleans has declined greatly in value. 
The accessibility of the whole city to water supply, of coal, and of raw 
material, renders the purchase of front sites on the river or canals easy, 
nor could such localities be, as in some other cities, monopolized. 

3. Fuel and Clothing. —The mildness of our climate diminishes of 



70 LOUISIANA. 



course the cost of clothing, as of fuel for domestic purposes. The sup- 
ply of coal or wood for steam motive power is literally unlimited. The 
coal of Illinois, Pennsylvania and Virginia is brought to our wharves 
by the river current, while that of Canada and of England may be 
brought in ballast or cargo by vessels loading out with cotton or grain. 
The semi-bituminous coal field of Alabama belongs to the same meas- 
ures with that of Cumberland or Maryland. It has been proved by 
analysis and use to be among the very best steam coals for stationary 
or marine engines. It lies along the thirty-third degree north latitude, 
and between the eighty-seventh and eighty-ninth degrees of longitude, 
making a mean diagonal between these mines and our port of about 
275 miles, with a water delivery during the greater part of the year, or 
a down grade or gravity delivery by railroad, now under construction 
from New Orleans to Tuscaloosa. The average cost of these coals may 
be placed at $4 50 per ton. Wood as fuel may be brought at the cost of 
cutting and transportation not to exceed $3 per cord. 

4. Inducement to cipital investment in manufactures. —The American 
tariff, whether for revenue or for incidental protection, would seem to 
be permanent, and offers inducements to infant industries. It may be 
especially mentioned that the duty on manufactured cotton fixed by 
the celebrated compromise of 1842 has during the unobstructed ascen- 
dancy of the protectionists, been changed to a specific duty of more 
than five cents per yard, constituting a protection on some qualities of 
goods of more than 40 per cent, ad valorem. In like manner the pro- 
tection on silk goods of American manufacture has been placed at more 
than 50 per cent, while that upon woolen cloths are satisfactory to the 
manufacturers. To these considerations may be added the fact that 
by article 207 of the constitution of Louisiana, 1879, it is enacted as 
follows : 

"There shall also be exempt from taxation and license for a period of 
ten years from the adoption of this constitution the capital, machinery 
and other property employed in the manufacture of textile fabrics," 
and numerous other articles enumerated. 

It is also said in the Fall iliver report: "During the war the manu- 
facturers were compelled to put up with the 'bad short staple cotton' 
of Asia. The English manufacturers loaded this cotton with flour and 
China clay, rising to the extent of 40, 60 and 100 per cent of the original 
weight." 

We may remark that the manufacturers of Orleans cotton need no 
sizing at all for such a purpose. The effec*: of loading English cottons 
has been to impair the markets of China and elsewhere for English 
goods, and has compelled the counterfeit of American trade marks. 

5. Value of cotton stock on the spot.— The advantage to the spinner of 
a stock held by the shippers represents an economy of insurance and 
interest too obvious to be disregarded by practical men. 

FEW ORLEANS AS A MANUFACTURER OF COTTON GOODS. 

In considering this particular proposition, involving consequences of 
such importance to our city, your committee have made the most sedu- 
lous and impartial inquiries practicable. Aware that a practical 
examination of successful enterprise would strengthen the general 
reasoning already employed, your committee addressed a request to 
the house of Lehman, Abraham & Co., of our city, to allow them to 
inspect the Lane cotton mills. In immediate and polite response the 
manager, Mr. Boatwright, was instructed to extend us every facility. 
We have, therefore, to acknowledge the very instructive attentions of 
this gentleman, from whom we derived the information which follows. 

The Lane Cotton Mills have been in operation for more than twenty 
years, and have withstood the vicissitudes of war and the troubles 
of trade with no other suspension than that occasioned by a military 
order. They contain 8000 spindles and seventy-live looms. They em- 



COTTON MANUFACTURE. 71 



ploy about ninety operatives. The wages are from the small sums 
paid beginners to $1 a dav paid women at the looms and spindles. 
The time is nine working hours a day. These operatives are all na- 
tives of New Orleans. Their exemption from epidemic disease is 
shown by the fact that there was but three cases of fever in the mill 
in 1878, none of whom died, nor was the mill stopped for a single day. 
The cost of coal used was about $3 30 per ton on the barge. The raw 
cotton is supplied from the city as required at the mill, and no stock is 
kept on hand. The consumption of cotton is something less than 
2000 bales annually. The orders for cloth and yarn seem sufficient to 
take the goods as fast as they can be made. Apparently the rate of 
profit upon this investment is satisfactory, since the proprietors are 
erecting an additional mill, about 140 by 78 feet, to contain 8000 spin- 
dles, 64 carders and 320 looms. It will give employment to about 350 
hands The motive power will be an engine of 225 horse-power. The 
new mill will cost about $140;090. 

We have thus in our own city an example of snccessful enterprise. 
Let us examine still further the inducement to similar investments. 
In 1879 England imported raw cotton valued at $176,316,000, 71 percent, 
whereof was derived from the United States and 925,000,000 from the 
port of New Orleans. Of this stock England exported $251,957,000. 
As the consumption of England, including, we suppose, her colonial 
possessions, is estimated to equal the values exported, the total value 
manufactured would be $503,914,000, exclusive of yarns. The total 
value, then, imported from the United States was spun and woven into 
goods worth $365,000,000, while those imported from New Orleans were 
made to be worth SUV 1,500, ouo, exclusive of yarns. Here, then is an 
increase of more than 490 per cent, occasioned by the mere conversion 
of the staple into cloth, and this by means, in part, of such an opera- 
tive class as New Orleans has to subsist. The combination of re- 
sources, shown to be within the ability of New Orleans to command, 
would have given to New Orleans more than $135,000,000 in place of 
the $35,000,000 exported on account of the shipper. 

New Orleans, perhaps, exported to other countries and to the States 
of the Union as much as that to England. Practical minds will also 
show that while the raw cotton exported belongs to the planter or 
shipper, the additional value imparted by the act of manufacture 
would belong to the people of the city itself. We will, therefore, add 
some of the peculiar advantages possessed by New Orleans over other 
cities for the manufacture of this great staple. 

1. Superiority of staple. 

The following table from the British Mail, of August, 1880, will show 
the superior value of the New Orleans cotton staple : 

Cotton— London— ty ft), fair to good fair- 
Saw ginned Dharwar 5 1-16@5 7-16 

Machine ginned Broach 5 13-16 

Madras-Tinevelly 5i@5| 

Western - kt(a>5l 

Northern ts.@5| 

Coconada -• 5£@5J 

Bengal - ± 5M<3($4 7-16 

Rangoon ---- 4|@4£ 

Scinde ± 5-16^4 9-16 

Do. Sealsland Is. 4d.@ls. 8d. 

Comptah 

Dhollerah 4 15-16(^5 5-16 

Oomra.... 4 15-!6@5 5-16 

Liverpool middling upland 6 13-16 

Do. Orleans - 6 15-16 



72 LOUISIANA. 



From this it appears to be 14 per cent, better than the best of other 
products and 40.37 per cent, better than lowest grades of India cotton. 
The Secretary of State has recently said in a letter to the Speaker of 
the House of Bepresentatives : "It maybe safely assumed that the 
consumption of cotton in England will at least remain at its present 
proportions for some time to come. And it may be also assumed that 
England must rely on the United States for her chief supply of this 
staple, all efforts thus far to develop a cotton supply elsewhere to com- 
pete with the American article having proved futile," 

2. Advantages of Climate. -It has been with some surprise that we 
have seen the singular assertion made by Mr. Atkinson, a statistician 
of reputation, that a "cold climate" is essential to the successful 
manufacture of cotton. "We would reason that the filaments of cotton 
would be more nocculent in a dry and cold atmosphere, and that they 
would be more disposed to separation. On the other hand, we would 
suppose that in a warm and even humid air these fibres would be more 
soft, more pliable and less liable to waste. Upon such reasoning we 
are not surprised that the cotton mills of Massachusetts maintain an 
artificial temperature of 70° throughout the year. In examining the 
subject further we find that England enjoys the climate most favorable 
to this industry, and it is somewhat attributable to the gulf stream, 
which, on its return towards the tropics, not only gives a warmth but a 
moisture to the island of Great Britain and Ireland, to which the ex- 
traordinary freshness of the turf of those countries has been attributed. 
Com. Maury long since compared the gulf stream to a warming appa- 
ratus. The centennial report of Fall Biver says : "One of the tradi- 
tional claims of England to an advantage over other countries in this 
pursuit (cotton manufacture) has been the sea-girt position twhich as- 
sures a constant humidity, that is an essential in a greater of less de- 
gree in all the stages of cloth production, and of course the atmosphere 
of the region in and about Fall Kiver has far from the same degree of 
moisture that is permanent in England and a still less constituent pro- 
portion than that of the Irish coast, exposed immediately to the dense 
fogs of the gulf stream, and especially created, if we credit the super- 
stition of the Belfast people, by a beneficent Providence for the man- 
ufacture of linen." We are sustained in the belief that warmth and 
moisture are favorable to the success of this industry by the practical 
observations of the Fall Biver manufacturers. They regard the cli- 
mate at Newport, B. I., as the most favorable for textile work, and 
claim for their own locality a vicinity to the ocean and a mildness of at- 
mosphere superior to that in the interior of Massachusetts. To this 
we add the testimony of Mr. Lowry and Mr. Boatwright, each at dif- 
ferent times managers of the Lane Cotton Mills. They agree that the 
climate of New Orleans is very favorable to textile work. There are 
occasional days of excessive humidity in the winter, which may be cor- 
rected by proper apparatus for the purpose. 

3. Workshops for repairing or constructing machinery,— There are in 
New Orleans some first-class machine shops with every facility for the 
manufacture or repair of any work whatever. When it is mentioned 
that we have in the vicinity of New Orleans some twelve hundred 
sugar, rice, cotton and lumber mills ; that we have more than one hun- 
dred steamboats plying on our rivers and a fleet of steamers all re- 
quiring the service of first-class workshops, there can be no doubt of 
our capacity to conduct any work of reparation which may be needed 
by any additional machinery. 

REDUCTION ON FREIGHT SPACE. 

As our voyage to the markets of Europe is perhaps 40 per cent longer 
than that from the Eastern Atlantic ports, the comparative cost of 
transatlantic freights become a matter of much consequence. It is 
therefore important to reduce the freight space necessary as much as 



COTTON MANUFACTURE. 73 



possible. We have compresses by which two bales of plantation cot- 
ton may be condensed within the space allotted to one. This economy 
of space may be greatly increased. The bale of plantation cotton 
occupies a space of forty-four cubic feet. It may be compressed witbin 
eleven cubic feet, but when twisted into yarns and woven into cloth this 
original bale will only occupy nine cubic feet. At this rate the freight 
space occupied by 1000 plantation bales would carry 4600 bales con- 
densed into cloth. 

SUMMARY OF ADVANTAGES. 

Nothing then remains except to summarize these advantages. It is 
then claimed : 

1. That the staple of cotton offered in this market or in that of Texas 
will grade 34 per cent better for strength, length and weight than any 
other cottons for the manufacture of sheetings, shirtings and yarns 
suitable for the warp of home-made cotton cloths. 

2. That the stock of this cotton on hand in New Orleans is sufficient 
to enable the spinner to supply his wants for the greater part of the 
year without the cost of insurance and interest, the variation of price 
or the speculation of -futures. 

3. That the average climatic temperature is perfectly adapted to the 
manufacture of tixtile goods. 

4. That the elements of food, clothing and rents, which constitute 
the cost of operative labor, are or may be furnished on as moderate 
terms as in any other part of the United States. 

5. That operative labor capable of rapid instruction in cotton spin- 
ning abounds in this city, and can be relied upon to work all the year 
round. 

6. That motive power can be supplied from coal at less than the 
average prices paid by Eastern mills off the line of water delivery, and 
at rates that will justify the investment of capital in milling property. 

7. That real estate convenient to water delivery of stock and fuel 
abounds in this city, in the midst of operative population and at mode- 
rate prices. 

8. That the revenue tax imposed by the United States upon imported 
cotton manufactures, with the exemption from State taxation upon 
buildings and machinery employed in the manufacture of cotton, 
tends to encourage such an investment. 

9. That our machine shops, with complete and modern machinery, 
demonstrate the ability of New Orleans to repair any part of a cotton 
mill, while the facilities of intercourse with the North will enable the 
cotton spinher to renew or replace any disabled part of his machinery. 

10. That the amount of tonnage employed in the exportation of 
our cotton will be greatly reduced by the compression of the raw cot- 
ton into yarns and cloths. 

It is known that the industry of manufactures may be more readily 
adopted at present than formerly, owing to the fact that all fabrics are 
in great part the production of machine labor, the possession of which 
reduces the long time formerly required to educate a people to hand- 
work productions. On the other hand, it must not be forgotten that 
the successful manufacture of cotton requires large capital and judi- 
cious management. Under the. most favorable circumstances, a 
knowledge of stock and process, with the immediate adoption of all 
improvements which diminish the cost or improve the quality of the 
the product, cases are given where, in the most favored locations at 
the North, large sums have been sunk in cotton manufacture, while 
the occasional strikes and suspensions prove that this industry, even 
under the most favorable conditions, is not exempt from the obliga- 
tions which attend all human enterprises. If, however, the same 
amount of energy and ability which produces 5,750,000 bales of cotton, 
and which conducts the sale and shipment, be applied to its manufac- 

10 



74 LOUISIANA. 



ture, we may anticipate success. Confining ourselves, however, sim- 
ply to the specific, object of inquiry stated, your committee has re- 
spectfully to submit for the consideration of the Chamber the follow- 
ing resolutions : 

Whereas, changes in the channels of internal and international 
communication, and the reduction of the legitimate profits upon trade 
in transit and merchandise on sale, renders the subsistence of large 
aggregations of city population by these means slow and precarious ; 
therefore, 

Resolved, That the city of New Orleans should add to her resources 
of the factorage, purchase and sale of commodities and the manufac- 
ture af raw materials. 

Resolved, That the inducements to the manufacture of cotton on the 
spot appear to this Chamber sufficient to justify investment therein by 
any capitalist desiring safe and satisfactory returns, or by any prop- 
erty owner seeking the advancement of his own interest or the pros- 
perity of the citv. Respectfully submitted, 

W. M. BURWELL, ADAM THOMPSON, C. E. GIRARDEY, 
ADOLPH SCHREIBER, H. DUDLEY COLEMAN. 



COMMERCE OF NEW ORLEANS. 

The imports for the fiscal year ending August 31 were $12,413,270, an 
increase of $1,498,228 over last year, while the exports were $104,150,450, 
also an increase, being $20,814,570 more than the previous year. The 
tonnage cleared from this port, though 1,402,496, or 158,450 tons more 
than last year, was carried in 1257 vessels, which is 79 less than last 
year, and is attributed to the larger sized vessels, especially steamers, 
that have come to this port owing to the great depth of water main- 
tained by that remarkable success— Eads's jetties. 

In the manufacturing line and in the increased employment of 
females the progress of New Orleans has been truly remarkable. The 
machine shops, foundries, sugar mills, cotton mills, rice mills and 
various other industries have shown considerable improvement, in the 
addition of new machinery and approved appliances for the perfection 
of the various articles turned out by them. 

Besides the improvement already mentioned, our river barge trans- 
portation has been increased to a carrying capacity of nearly 5,000,000 
bushels per month, as there are now 15 towboats and 100 barges en- 
gaged in this service, and in addition to this already large equipment 
it is reported that there are 25 more barges and several towboats in the 
process of construction or preparation for the Mississippi River trade. 

Our railroad systems have also been increased enormously, and be- 
sides those which already centre here are and are connected with large 
railroad combinations in other parts of the country, additional sys- 
tems are contemplated in the West and California which are to make 
New Orleans the objective point of the great outlet of the immense 
products of those vast sections. 

The extraordinary success of our cotton future business has made 
our city not only the greatest cotton centre, but the point on which 
the world's various cotton markets revolve. 

Official statement of I. N. Maynard, manager of the New Orleans 
Clearing-House : 

GRAND TOTAL CLEARINGS AND BALANCES FOB THE YEAR ENDING MAY 31, 1881. 

Clearings. Balances paid. 

1880-81 $465,125,557 $46,519,863 

1879-80 433,011,637 47,157,057 

Increase $42,113,920 $362,806 



COMMERCE OF NEW ORLEANS. 



75 



The following are the clearings and balances previous to 1879 -80 : 

1872-73 $501,716,239 06 $58,933,605 49 

1873-74 476,235,854 96 52,751,419 86 

1874-75 406,829,492 01 45,293,424 66 

1875-76 426,266,165 89 47,937,793 62 

1876-77 414,527,870 21 47,296,575 14 

1877-78 428,750,803 03 46,341,330 10 

1878-79..., 372,651.150 10 44,579,081 67 

As indicated by the above clearings, the business movement of 1880-81 
shows a considerable improvement over that of 1879-80 

MONEY MARKET. 

Although the supply of available funds throughout the year has 
been fair, both in bank and in the street, rates have ruled rather 
higher for money than last year, owing to the increased business move- 
ment produced by the large crops, the liberal grain trade and new and 
various enterprises springing up, besides the large, active speculative 
business in securities and cotton futures. The course of the market is 
indicated by the following table, which shows the extremes monthly: 



1880-81. 



Exceptional 
paper. 



September 8@ 9 

October 9 

January 8 

Februiry 8 

March 7@ 8 

May 8 

1879-80 6@ 8 

1878-79 6(3) 8 



Al 
10 
10 

9@10 

10 

8 

8 

8@10 

9?aio 



Collateral 
loans. 



Al mort- 
gages. 
8 



6(5)8 
6(aJ8 



FOREIGN COMMERCIAL EXCHANGES. 



1880-81. 



September 
October ... 
November. 
December . 
January... 
February.. 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

1879 80 

1878-79 



STERLING. 



Lo west. 

476. V 

477" 

475 

473$ 

476 

475 

475$ 

479 

480 

480 

479$ 

476 

474£ 

475 h 



Highest. 



479 

480 

479 J 

47 bi 

481" 

482$ 

479$ 

483 

485 

482* 

481* 

480$ 

485 

486$ 



Lowest. 



530 

531|: 

531* 

533^ 

531* 

532$ 

532* 

530" 

5261 

526$ 

526* 

530 

531| 

528| 



Highest. 



NEW YORK COMMERCIAL SIGHT. 



1880-81. 



September... 

October 

November „.. 

December 

January 

February 

1879-80 



Lowest. 


$3 50 ds 


2 50 ds 


3 00 ds 


4 00 ds 


4 00 ds 


2 50 ds 


5 00 ds 



Highest. 

$0~50ds" 
1 25 ds 

1 00 ds 

2 75 ds 
50 pr 
50 pr 

2 50 pr 



1880-81. 



March . 
April... 
May ... 
June ... 
July.... 
August , 
1878-79 . 



Lowest. 



$1 25 ds 
1 00 pr 
50 ds 
1 00 ds 
1 00 ds 
1 00 ds 



5-16 ds 



Highest. 



75 pr 
50 pr 
50 pr 
50 ds 
50 ds 
25 pr 



76 



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LOUISIANA. 



TABLE OF RECEIPTS OF COTTON AT NEW ORLEANS, WITH 
THE TOTAL CROP FROM 1835-36 TO 1880-81. 

Tear. Crop. New Orleans. Perct. 

1835-36 1,360,727 495,443 36.41 

1836-37 1,422,930 605,813 42.04 

1837-38 1,801,497 742,726 41.23 

1838-39 1,360,532 578,514 42.52 

1839-40 2,177,835 954,446 43.83 

1840-41 1,634,945 822,870 50. 33 

1841-42 3,680,574 740,155 44.04 

1842-43 1,378,875 1,089,042 79 98 

1843-44 2,030,400 910,854 44.86 

1844-45 2,394,503 970,238 40.90 

1845-46 2,100,537 865,375 38.34 

1846-47 2,178,651 740,550 62.83 

1847-48 2,347,635 1,213,805 51.70 

1848-49 2,728,596 1,152,382 42.23 

1849-50 2,096,706 781,886 37.66 

1850-51 2,355,257 932,369 39.63 

1851-52.. 3,015,029 1,373,464 45.55 

1852-53 _ 3,262,882 1,580,875 48.74 

1853-54 , ....2,930,027 1,346,925 45.97 

1854-55 2,847,339 1,232,644 43.27 

1855-56 3,527,845 1,651,432 47 09 

1856-57 2,939,519 1,435,000 48.81 

1857-58 3,113,962 1,576,409 50.62 

.1958-59 3,851,401 1,669,274 43.34 

1859-60 4,675,770 2,139.425 45.77 

War 

1865-66 ...2,154,476 711,629 33.08 

1866-67 1,951,988 702,131 35 97 

1867-68 2,430,893 579,231 23.81 

1868-69 2,260,557 794,205 35.12 

1869-70 3,113,592 1,142,997 36.66 

1870-71 4,347,006 1,446,400 33.28 

1861-72 2,914,351 957,538 32.19 

1872-73 3,930,508 1,240,384 31.56 

1873-74 4,185.534 1,221,696 29.18 

1874-75 3,832^991 993,775 25 91 

1875-76 4,669,283 1,415.959 30.36 

1876-77 4,485,423 1,195,035 26.64 

1877-78 4,773,765 1,391,519 29.15 

1878-79 5,074,155 1,187,355 23 44 

1879-80 5,761,252 1,504.654 26.12 

1880-81 6,611,000 1,879,593 24.33 



RECEIPTS AT UNITED STATES PORTS THIS YEAR. 

This year. 

New Orleans 1.879,593 

Galveston 691,s97 

Indianola 16,264 

Mobile 390,186 

Pensacola 8,672 

Chai'leston 635,164 

Port Royal 44,486 

Savannah 887,114 

Brunswick 4,981 





Year 


Last year. 


before. 


1,489,049 


1,174,594 


476,432 


560,135 


8,694 


15,074 


357,089 


362,430 


4,548 


23,315 


462,632 


499,921 


42,677 


10,310 


738,810 


690,682 


3,805 


15,878 



COMMERCE OF NEW ORLEANS. 



79 



Wilmington .:.. 116,749 77,266 109,295 

Norfolk 709,044 583,933 442,114 

City and West Point."."" 198,846 165 689 117,453 

Baltimore 59,515 20,529 19,326 

Philadelphia *""-- 75,702 44,678 36,352 

New York 191312 229,416 169,981 

Providence"" 21.72.2 34,938 18,122 

Boston !_.'"""" .7—7 180,125 233,834 177,033 

EXPORTS FROM ALL PORTS. 

Great Britain 

and Channel. Continent. Total. 

New Orleans 530 ; 106 691,251 1,631,357 

Galveston....'...- 323.786 162,351 486,137 

Mobile p— . 84,070 32,191 116,263 

Savannah"..".".'. 200,021 297,780 507,801 

Charleston 172.715 269,180 441,895 

Wilmington 57,130 12,672 69,810 

Norfolk 316,051 12,772 328,818 

Baltimore.'""."'....' 119,895 27,993 147,888 

New York 404,285 175,811 580,096 

Boston.. ..7.7. 124,459 124,459 

Philadelphia 67,774 50 67,824 

Port Royal 27,839 9,630 37,469 

Total 2,838,134 1,701.683 4,539,817 

TAKINGS NORTHERN MILLS. OVERLAND TO MILLS. 

1880-81. 1879-80. 1880-81. 1879-80. 

September 64,000 84,395 12,039 22,442 

October .... 178,341 149,305 63.269 48,430 

November"" 312,014 309,134 102,811 121,914 

December 284,662 372,270 79,461 132,147 

January " 267,574 205,112 • 76 17 67,523 

February" 187,914 107,880 40,159 40,485 

March 82,172 83,528 28,004 26,804 

A mil - 94,375 65,805 30,831 19,874 

May --- 82,239 41,439 28,036 9,764 

Balance::. 7.77. _*_ 155.1 29 * 29,367 

Total 1,735,000 1,573,997 518,240 

Southern consumption 250,000 215,981 500,000 

♦Estimated. 



NEW ORLEANS COTTON STATEMENT. 

1880-81. 

Stock beginning year 3^ 

Net receipts i,&ab,o/a 

Receipts from Mobile 199,409 

Receipts from Texas 72,530 

Receipts from Florida L394 

Receipts from New York 666 

Receipts from Liverpool 10 

Excess from loose, waste, linters, etc 19,506 

Total supply 1,911,862 

Exports and local consumption, year 1,835,312 

Stock close year 76,550 



1879-80. 

4,595 

1,489,049 

167,277 

56,620 

53 



15,253 

1,732,754 
1,700,485 

32,269 



so 



LOUISIANA. 



OCEAN FKEIGHTS ON COTTON. 
The rates current during the year on cotton have been as follows : 





TO LIVERPOOL. 


TO HAVRE. 




STEAM. 


SAIL. 


SAIL. 




Lowest. 


Highest. 


Lowest. 


Highest. 


Lowest. 


Highest. 


September. 
October. .. 
November. 
December. 
January... 
February.. 
March 

June 

July 

August — 


ll-32d 

id 

13-32d 

ll-32d 
9-32d 
9-32d 
9-32d 
5-16d 


15-32d 

15-32d 

17-32d 

7-16d 

*9 

7-16d 

13-32d 

Id 

ll-32d 

5-16d 

7-16d 


Id 
ll-32d 

Id 
23-64d 
11 32d 
23-64d 
23-64d 
23-64d 
ll-32d 
5-16d 
19-64d 

1 


|d 

Id 

fd 

Id 

23-64d 

23-64d 

23-64d 

Id 

ll-32d 

5-16d 

3 

"5 


!c 

ll-16c 
fe 
23-32e 
ll-16c 
21-32c 
23-32C 

23-32c 
23-32C 
23-32C 
1 


|c 

fc 
ic 

23-320 
ll-16c 

Ic 

i c 

|c 
23-32C 
23-320 

i 



EXPOETS OF GEAIN FROM NEW OELEANS. 

Official report of Mr. J. T. Belknap, grain inspector of this port, and 
exhibits in detail the foreign shipments of grains in bulk : 

COMPARATIVE SHIPMENTS FOR SEASON FROM SEPTEMBER TO AUGUST INCLUSIVE. 



1880-1881. 



Destination. Corn. 

Liverpool 1,894,046 

London 263,806 

Glasgow 

Cork ,-.-' - 229,266 

Copenhagen 835,991 

Stettin 74.274 

Hamburg - 715,959 

Bremen 452,851 

Rotterdam.. 313,209 

Antwerp 1,784,211 

Dunkirk -- 494,864 

Calais 

Caen 

Havre 421,760 

Eouen 1,560,865 

St. Nazaire 

La Rochclle 

Sables d'Olonne 

Bordeaux 96,196 

Bayonne 

Gijon 

Passages 

Barcelona 

Marseilles 

Genoa 

Leghorn... 

Naples 

Venice 



Wheat. 

666,175 

88,593 

29,962 

158,510 



686.606 

610.537 

155,231 

246,667 

27,646 

1,514.800 

1,176,443 

34^022 

30,031 
326,157 
409,641 



362,756 



Corn. 
1.276,323 

"*4*451 



315,298 
380,858 
722,438 
1,388,418 
781,993 
76,460 

"545",038 

2,305,664 

23,550 



204,983 
30,974 
66,274 
28,606 
73,604 

151,793 

442,109 

157,881 
135,362 



1879-1880. 



Wheat. 
513,807 



22,119 



818,453 
732,904 

"70,466 

999,170 
158,443 

"58*7QB 

1,101,365 

163,527 



Total 9,137,373 6,523,747 9,112,077 5,254,805 



COMMERCE OF NEW ORLEANS. 81 



Corn. Wheat. Eye. 

Season 1878-1879 3,598,832 1,901,929 272,504 

Season 1879-1880 9,112,077 5,254,805 63,704 

Season 1880-1881 9,137,373 6,523,747 45,423 

Shipments of rye this season were all to Eotterdam— 45,421 bushels. 

The exports in 1879-80 were made on 136 steamships and 133 sailing 
vessels ; in 1880-81 they were made on 228 steamships and 116 sailing 
vessels. 

In the above table are given the e^act amounts of bulk wheat, corn 
and rye exported from the 1st day of September, 1880, to August 31, 
1881. The exports from July 1st, 1880, to July 31. 1881, as shown by the 
records of the Custom-House have been as follows : 

TOTAL EXPORTS OF GRAINS, ALL KINDS, FROM AUGUST 1, 1880, TO JULY 31, 1881. 

Corn. Wheat. 

Bushels. Dollars. Bushels. Dollar*. 

Belgium 1,448,340 801,297 958,553 1,086,112 

Central American States . _ 46 32 

Denmark 833,866 418,109 

France 2,639,474 1,460,378 4,024,685 4,784,922 

Germanv 1,045,694 529,143 

England 2,106,181 1,156,592 933,559 1,084,969 

Ireland 195,915 110,829 32,456 35,702 

Nova Scotia 209,852 110,877 496,787 593,830 

British West Indies 82 57 

British Honduras 297 160 

Mexico... 61,438 38,259 

Netherlands.... 489,258 251,086 987,505 1,137,941 

Scotland 29,932 32,924 



Totals 9,030,443 4,876,819 7,463,477 8,706,400 

Of Oats the exports were to France 1000 bushels, valued at $400 ; to 
England 100 bushels, valued at $40; to British Honduras 69 bushels, 
valued at $32, and to. Cuba 541 bushels, valued at $211. Of rye the ex- 
ports were to Netherlands 45,423 bushels, valued at $39,817. Of barley 
only one bushel was exported to British Honduras, valued at $3. 

The total receipts, which include the local consumption of wheat, 
have been as follows : 

1879-80. 1880 81. 

Bye in bulk, bushels 64,355 45,421 

Wheat in bulk and sacks, bushels... 5,504,805 6,774,492 

Corn in bulk, bushels ...9,112,077 10,059,004 

Of other grain and feed stuffs the receipts and shipments for the Dast 
two years have been as follows : 

1879-80. 1880-81. 

Beceipts. Shipments. Eeceipts. Shipments. 

Corn, sacks ..985,091 328,980 541,242 321,904 

Oats, sacks 432,031 17,049 570,230 7,055 

Bran, sacks 136,437 12,584 123,583 10.519 

Hay, bales 193,790 806 210.616 2,351 

The foreign and coastwise shipments, exclusive of movements by 
rail, have been as follows : 

Hay, Bran, Oats, Corn, 

1880-81. bales. sacks. sacks. sacks. 

Antwerp ... 6,111 

Bremen "_""_ s'ioo 

Campeachy 800 

11 



82 



LOUISIANA. 



Cienfuegos.. 
Copenhagen . 

Dunkirk 

England 

Florida 

Havre.. . 

Honduras . . . 

Jamaica 

Mexico 

New York... 
Rotterdam . . 
Ruatan 



210 











5,916 










3,757 


415 


4 


61 


3,153 


1,844 


4,951 


6,821 


65,137 




3.050 


218 


6 


10 


4 


16 


32 








25 


43 








24,241 



300 



300 



4,000 



The value of white sack corn on the landing has ranged as follows : 



September 54(5)60 

October 56@60 

November 55@73 

December 53@71 

January 52@70 

February 55@62 



March 60 

April 62£ 

May 65 

June 62 

July .62 

August 63 




LOUISIANA SUGAR AND RICE CROPS 1880-81 
(From A. Bouchereau's Annual Statement.) 

Crop of 
No. Sugar- 



Parishes. Houses in 

operation. 

Rapides - 18 

Avoyelles 15 

St. Landry.... 27 

Lafayette 10 

Vermillion 38 

St. Martin 35 

Iberia 66 

St. Mary 99 

Terrebonne. . 1 77 

Lafourche 77 

Assumption 1 20 

Pointe Coupee 44 

West Feliciana 

39 

1 

56 

102 

64 

80 

43 

27 

26 

5 

15 

28 

6 



Sugar '80-'81, 

in 

hogsheads. 

4,201 

1,935 

2,989 

932 

2,025 

3,549 

9,099 

■ 24,732 

15,900 

14,281 

20.898 

5,591 



West Baton Rouge 

East Feliciana 

East Baton Rouge 

Iberville 

Ascension 

St. James 

St. John the Baptist 

St. Charles 

Jefferson 

Orleans 

St. Bernard 

Plaquemines 

Livingston 

St. Tammany .___-. 

3 p. c. cistern bottoms on 389,264 

hhds. ('61-'62 

Actual sugar-house crop of 1888-81 
3 p. c cistern bottom on 138.509 

hhds. 1880-81 



9,444 

25 

4,950 

19,293 

16,913 

17.328 

10,688 

6,871 

5,570 

797 

3,467 

12,556 

85 

120 



214,159 



Crop of 
Clean Rice 
'80-'81, in 
barrels. 



860 
1,500 

709 
2,000 

"iio 

84 

2,998 

36,500 

6,000 



28,933 

12,341 

31,545 

20,312 

19,543 

8,888 

7,657 

6,684 

84,554 

"466 



4,156 



Total 1,144 



218,314 



266,658 



COMMERCE OF NEW ORLEANS. 83 



Mr. Bouehereau's aggregates are as follows : 

Weight. 

Hhds. Pounds. 

Brown sugar made by old process in 1880-81.. .. 142,664 174,050,080 

Befined and clarified, including first, second and 

third 75,650 98,932,819 

Total crop of 1880-81... 218,314 272,982,899 

Gallons. Gallons. 
Average of molasses per 1000 pounds of refined 

sugar 42.13 4,168,039.66 

Average of molasses per 1000 pounds of brown 

sugar 63.70 11,086,990.10 

Total crop of molasses.. - 15,255,029.76 

SHIPMENTS TO OTHEE POETS. 

Sugar. Molasses. 

1880-81. 1879-80. 1880-81. 1879-80. 

Hhds. Hhds. Bbls. Bbls. 

New York 20.064 13,831 112,109 77,649 

Philadelphia '200 538 1,934 521 

Baltimore and Boston.. 1,171 589 2,492 2,793 

Mobile... 16,110 6,504 21,077 10,126 

Florida 839 1,303 930 981 

Texas 9,311 8,783 8,131 13,432 

West, etc ....88,225 62,202 128,809 68,997 

Total 135,830 93,750 270,482 174,549 

Prices current at the close of each month and monthly receipts have 
been as follows : 

Keceipts. Prices. 

Sugar. Molasses. Fully fair Prime 

hhds. bbls. Sugar. Molasses. 

September 117 179 9* to 9J ..to.. 

October 5,314 13,300 6£ to 7 44 to 45 

November 30,481 64,470 6£ to 6| 40 to 42 

December 46,926 97,546 6£ to 6J 38 to 40 

January 35,812 78,496 .. to 6| 36 to 38 

February 22,811 39,457 6f to 6| 36 to 38 

March 16,167 18,225 ..to7 36 to 38 

April 10,651 8,604 7-f to 7f 38 to 40 

Mav 4,687 5,164 . . to 7| 35 to 40 

June 5,598 2,867 7f to 8 ..to 40 

July 2,254 1,314 -.to7| ..to 40 

August 1,021 559 ..toll .. to .. 

Total 181,839 330,181 

The comparative value of the crop for a series of years has been as 
follows : 

Tear. Total crop, Average price 

Crop pounds. per hhd. Total value. 

1850-51 231,200,000 $60 00 $12,678,000 

1855-56 254,600,000 70 00 16,200,000 

1859-60 225,100,000 82 00 18,200,000 

1861-62 528,300,000 55 00 25,100,000 

1865-66 19,900,000 157 50 2,847,000 

1869-70 99,500,000 120 00 10,442,000 



84 LOUISIANA. 



1871-72...-., - 146,900,000 108 00 13,911,000 

1873-74 103,200,000 95 50 8,555,000 

1875-76 - - 165,450,000 83 00 11,578,000 

1876-77 194,964,000 95 50 15,646,000 

1877*78 -. ...149,469,000 72 00 9,007,000 

1878-79 251,088,868 65 00 13,557,115 

1879-80 211,740,062 87 50 15,360,000 

1880-81 .272,982,899 80 00 17,465,120 

EICE CEOP 1880-81. 

The price per barrel of clean rice averaged $9 75 for the season. 
The receipts have been ; 

266,658 barrels of clean rice, weighing 220 pounds each, 
pounds net ' 61,331,340 

TABLE OF THE RICE CROP OE LOUISIANA. 

1874-75 ...104,415 

1875-76 170,394 

1876-77 187,116 

1877-78 136,587 

1878-79 154,518 

1879-80 100,689 

1880-81.... .266,658 

LEAF TOBACCO. 

RECEIPTS. 

Hhds. 

1875-6 26,671 

1876-7 9,317 

1877-8 14,172 

1878-9 2,645 

1879-80 6,824 

1880-1 11,705 

EXPORTS. 

1880-81. 

Great Britain 1,464 

France 82 

North Europe... 7,623 

Italy and Mexico 11 

Coastwise 323 

9,503 2,971 5,409 

THE TRADE STATEMENT OF FLOUR. 

1879-80, 1880-81, 

bbls. bbls. 

Stock September 1, 1879 30,501 19,075 

Local production 49,700 50,149 

Beceipts from the West 644,448 626,332 

Total supply .-.! 724,649 695,556 

Stock at close of year 19,075 14,775 

Total distribution , 705,574 680,781 



9-80. 


1878-79. 


5 


100 


130 


296 


1,440 


4,302 


16 


109 


1,380 


602 



COMMERCE OF NEW ORLEANS. 85 



Shipments to — 

Great Britain 50,264 25,491 

Other European ports 9,199 1,681 

West Indies, etc 22,910 71,189 

United States Atlantic ports 650 4,317 

Texas 29,862 9,682 

Mobile 4,033 4,684 

Florida -_ 52,067 56,504 

Other United States ports .. 30,317 29,157 

Total shipments 198,292 202,795 

City consumption • 506,282 477,986 

LOWEST AND HIGHEST PEICES OF FLOUR DURING THE YEAR. 

Choice. Fancv. 

September $5 10 to 5 30 $5 37| to 5 65 

October 5 m to 5 75 5 50 to 6 10 

November 5 70 to 6 00 5 85 to 6 37£ 

December 5 25 to 5 90 5 65 to 6 25 

January 5 62£ to 5 87£ 6 00 to 6 25 

February 5 62| to 5 90 5 90 to 6 37£ 

March 5 60 to 6 10 6 00 to 6 25 

April 5 75 to 6 00 5 87| to 6 25 

May 5 60 to 5 90 5 90 to 6 50 

June 5 75 to 6 00 6 25 to 6 50 

July.... 6 00 to 6 62* 6 37* to 7 00 

August 6 30 to 7 50" 6 62* to 8 00 

FEED STUFFS. 

The receipts of Oats have increased over last year 170,000 sacke, and 
shipments to coastwise ports are 50,000 sacks greater. Hay has also 
come in in larger quantities, but there is a falling off in Bran. Prices 
have not, on the average, varied materially from those of last year. 

The course of prices during the year has been as follows, prime Hay 
being quoted ; 

Oats. Bran. Hay. 

September 40 to 48 70 to 80 $17 00 to 22 00 

October _. 37 to 45 80 to 1 00 17 00 to 23 50 

November.... 37 to 50 90 to 1 124 21 00 to 28 00 

December... 44£ to 50 85 to 1 10" 23 00 to 27 90 

Januarv 46 to 57 90 to 1 10 22 00 to 26 00 

February.... _..43*to50 110 to 1 25 22 00 to 24 00 

March 44^ to 54 95 to 1 25 22 00 to 24 50 

April 47|to55 85 to 95 23 00 to 30 00 

May 46 to 50 70 to 85 22 50 to 29 00 

Juue 44jto48 70 to 80 16 50 to 23 00 

July 43 to52 72* to 1 00 16 00 to 19 00 

August.... 56 to60 90 to 1 40 16 00 to 22 00 

PEOVISIONS. 

The receipts in pounds have been as follows : 

1880-81. 1879-80. 

Bacon 12,591,850 12,290,350 

Hams 5,959.100 7,460,600 

Dry salt meats 26,631,242 26,421,188 

Pork 8,277,600 15,143.600 

Totalmeat 53,459,792 65,315,738 

Lard. 8,349,950 8,750,980 



86 



LOUISIANA. 



The shipment coastwise and to foreign ports embrace : 

Pork, Bacon, Lard, 

bbls. casks. tierces. 

Foreign ports 1,019 60 1,457 

Texas 151 424 1,778 

Mobile 102 263 59 

Florida 626 431 414 

Other United States ports..... 792 2,301 1,450 

Total 1880-1 9,702 3,520 5,181 

.. 1879-80 4,783 3,486 4,463 

.. 1878-9 4,391 5,450 5,679 



RANGE OF PRICES DURING THE YEAR. 



1880-81. Pork. 

September $15 75 to 17 25 

October 15 09 to 20 00 

November 14 00 to 15 50 

December 13 25 to 13 50 

January 13 25 to 15 25 

February 15 00 to 16 50 

March 16 00 to 16 74 

April 16 37itol8 50 

May 17 50 to 18 50 

June 17 37Jtol7 75 

July 17 25 to 18 00 

August 17 87|to20 60 



-Bacon — 



Shoulders. 
Cents. 
51 to 6J 
5| to 6J 
5| to 5f 
5Jto6 
5f to 6 
5| to 6i 
6f to 6f 

6 to6| 
6| to l\ 

7 to7| 
7|to8 

8 to Of 



Clear. 

Cents. 

10 to lOf 
9§ to 10 
8£to 9} 
8|to 9 
8 to 8| 
8^ to 9| 
8i to 9| 
91 to lOf 
9§ to 10 
9§ to 10| 

10l to 11 

11 to llj 



Beflned Lard, Dry Salt 

tierces. Shoulders. 

September 8f to 8| 54 to 5f 

October 8| to 6| 5| to 6 

November 8f to 9| 5| to 5f 

December 9 to 9| 4§ to 5| 

January to 10" ii to 54 

February 10J to lOf 5§ to 5§ 

March 10| to llf 5| to 5f 

April lOf to 12 5ito5f 

May 104toll£ 6 to6i 

June 11 to 114 6i to 6f 

July 11| to 124 6|to7i 

August 12 to 12| 7|to7£ 



S. Cured 
Hams. 

lli to 124, 

94 to 12 

9| to 11 

9 toll 

9 to 10 

94 to lli 

10| to ll" 

10 to Hi 

10* to 111 

lOf to 111 

10§ to 13$ 

12 to 144. 



COFFEE. 



Imports from Mexico, 8,318,942ft 63,503 

Imports coastwise 17,152 

Imports from Bio direct 258,622 

Total receipts 339,277 

Previous year 249,674 

Increase 80,603 



COMMERCE OF NEW ORLEANS. 87 



Imports. Sales. Prime. Fair. 

SeDtember 12,070 16 J to 16! 15| to 15f 

October 60,282 32 534 15| to 16 14f to 15 

November "".... 32;733 55.555 14f to 15 13? to 14 

"December 31,817 35,108 UJto — 13* to — 

JanSSv H003 25,696 14 to 14i 13 to 133 

FSuary""":::::".:.-. 35 964 30 914 14 to 141 13 tol3| 

March - - 15 648 19,725 13* to 133 12* to 12} 

April " ... 18 654 16,304 13* to 13£ 12§ to 12£ 

Mav 42,604 31,303 12f to 13 llf to 12 

jm,e ---■ 10,006 10,849 laltotai ii to llf 

July "J";. 9,971 16.130 12ltol2| Hi to llf 

August".!".!"."-"".". 9,610 13,304 — to 13* - to 12* 

COMPAKATIVE IMPOETS FOB SIX YEARS. 

From Fr«m 

Eio de J aniero. Mexico. 



1876. 
1877. 



154.730 8,358 

154I181 20,724 



To78 " 178,188 27,305 

{Jiq - " " 151,587 19.101 

£ ' ...194,073 28,225 

i88i.:!.!'.!!!!".".!!//-!!!!!."!..'-"-*-'----" 278,20g 65.500 

DAIBY [PEODUCTS. 

BuTTEB-Eeceipts for the year have been as follows : Western 4447 
firkins 244 kegs, 5283 packages, 27,734 tubs ; Northern 2981 firkins, 27b 

cases, 201 kegs and 268 tubs ; oleomargarine, tubs ; lardine, 

tubs. 

CHEESE-Eeceipts 45,224 boxes Western and 2394 boxes New Yora. 

SALT. 

RECEIPTS. 

1881. 1880. 1879. 

Liverpool, sacks 333,686 250,219 335,046 

Turks Island, bushels 115,154 5,406 

COTTON SEED PEODUCTS 

Ouf]£e - 283,568 504*931 

Cotton seed "meal .V."."."-"-"-'.". . .". 51 728 . 26,627 

Cotton seed oil, bbls 38.042 14,230 

EXPOETS OF OIL CAKE. 

Pounds. Pounds. 

Cxreat Britain -- 4 H»25 75 , 3, !S 

Continent...... 1?> 4 _ £«* 

Via New York - _!i? I ' 

515,019 810,831 

EXPOETS COTTON SEED OIL. 

Bbls. Bbls. 

Mediterranean and Adriatic ports 39,437 U l'ill 

Great Britain 926 2,250 

Continent — - 520 Mg 

Domestic ports 34 > 189 ld ' 6dd 



Total 75 > 072 



140.577 



LOUISIANA. 



COAL. 



Date. 

1880. 

September 1 

October 1 

November 1 

December 1 

1881. 

January 1 

February 1 

March 1 

April 1 

May 1 

June 1 

July 1 

August 1 

Last year 



Arri 


vals. 


Consumption. 


Joats. 


Barges. 


Boats. 


Barges. 






24 


1 


2 


.. 


25 


2 


D 




29 




4 


-- 


37 


-- 


62 


4 


44 


3 


20 


4 


53 


1 


33 




27 


4 


47 


fi 


31 


3 


42 


8 


24 


5 


83 


14 


25 


9 


7 


1 


25 


4 


66 


3 


35 


4 


371 


40 


370 


36 


336 


70 


276 


70 



Price 

wholesale. 

34 

35 to 37jc 
37J to 40c 
42J to 37ic 



38 
50 
45 
50 
45 
40 
40 
40 



to 44c 
to 48c 
to 48c 
to 48c 



to 47i 



WOOL. 

Beceipts about 1,000,000 pounds. 



LIVE STOCK. 

Beceipts for the year 6,047 beef cattle, 25.897 sheep, 26,137 hogs, 801 

cows, 49,110 calves and yearlings. Last year— 57,943 beef cattle, 26,547 
hogs, 16,270 sheep, 794 cows, 41,562 calves' and yearlings. 

The range of prices during the year has been as follows : 

Cornfed 

Beeves, Grass fed Hogs 

per pound, Beeves, per pound, Sheep 

Date. gross. per head gross. per head. 

September ..to.. $15 to 37 2i to 5i $2 00 to 5 00 

October..* .. to ._ 12 to 35 2i to 5 2 00 to 4 00 

November. 3 \ to 4 \ 10 to 30 2-f to 5 2 00 to 3 50 

December 3* to 5 10 to 30 2* to 5 2 00 to 3 50 

January. 3| to 5J 10 to 30 2* to U 2 00 to 3 50 

February 2j to 5 10 to 25 3-1 to 64 2 00 to 5 00 

March .... 24 to 5 10 to 35 3"" to 5| 2 00 to 5 00 

April.. 2{ ? to5i 10 to 25 5 to 5 2 00 to 5 00 

May 2|jto5i 10 to 30 3 to 6 2 00 to 5 00 

June.,... ..to.. 15to35 3i to 5 2 00 to 5 10 

July.- -- to.. 15 to 40 3|to64 1 50 to 4 00 

August to.. 15 to 38 34 to 6 1 50 to 3 50 



TBOPICAL FBUITS. 

Beceipts 500,000 boxes lemons and oranges. 



PRODUCTS OF SOUTHERN INDUSTRY. 89 

LEADING PRODUCTS OF SOUTHERN INDUSTRY, 
COTTON, CANE AND RICE. 

THE ACEEAGE AND CEOP8. 

The following table shows the cotton production of the various 
States, their acreage and the average product per acre : 

Fraction of 

States in order of bale per 

production. Acreage. Bales. acre. 

1. Mississippi 2,093,330 955,808 .46 

2. Georgia 2,617,138 814,441 .31 

3. Texas 2,137,732 803,642 .37 

4. Alabama 2,330,086 699,654 .30 

5. Arkansas 1,042,976 608,256 .58 

6. South Carolina 1,384.249 522,548 -39 

7. Louisiana 864,787 508,569 .59 

8. North Carolina 893,153 389,598 .44 

9. Tennessee 722.589 330,644 .46 

10. Florida 245,595 54,997 .22 

11. Missouri 32,711 19,733 .60 

12. Indian Territory 35,000 17,000 .49 

13. Virginia 24,000 11,000 .46 

14. Kentucky 2,667 1,367 .51 

Total 14,441,993 5,737,257 .40 

It will then be seen that omitting Missouri, which can scarcely be 
considered a cotton State, Louisiana averages the largest production to 
the acre— nearly two-thirds of a bale. The bales are estimated here to 
contain 475 pounds each, so that the total production of the country in 
1879 was 8,015,592,000 pounds of seed cotton, of which 2,725,198,000 
pounds was lint and the rest cotton seed. 

LOUISIANA. 

In this State nearly one-half of the crop was raised in the alluvial 
region north of Red river, and extending from the Mississippi to the 
Ouachita. In this section is the most fertile cotton parish in the 
South, East Carroll producing nineteen-twentieths of a bale to an acre. 
The average for the whole section is eight-tenths of a bale per acre. 
The lower river parishes, from Eed Eiver to St. Charles, produced 
about one-sixth of the crop, and an average of seven-tenths of a bale 
per acre. The oak uplands of the Eed Eiver country, extending from 
Eapides to the Texas boundary, produced about three-tenths of the 
crop of the State and an average of half a bale to the acre. Even our 
piny woods lands show an average of four-tenths of a bale per acre, 
which is ihe general average for the whole country. Our worst lands, 
therefore, average as well as the best in other States. 

COUNTIES HAVING THE HIGHEST PBODUCT PEE ACEE. 

East Carroll, La 40,167 

Chicot, Ark 26,941 

Washington, Miss 63,409 

Bowie, Texas 11,599 

Marlborough, S. C. 41,251 

Richmond, N. C ...... .„ 25,198 

12 



Total 


Product 


Production. 


per acre. 


38,160 


.95 


25,338 


.94 


54,873 


.87 


7,958 


.69 


23,785 


.58 


12,754 


.51 



90 LOUISIANA. 



NEW ORLEANS MANUFACTURES. 

There are two manufactories of artificial ice in New Orleans making 
yearly more than 25,000 tons of ice, which is consumed in the city. The 
demand for artificial ice is greater than the supply and more factories 
are needed. This ice sells at wholesale for $12 a ton. 

THE BOX FACTORIES 

supply Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee with 
paper and wooden boxes, and almost the entire West draws its supply 
of Spanish cedar for cigar boxes from this market. 

BEICK YARDS. 
There are seven brick yards in and around New Orleans. 

BROOMS AND BRUSHES. 

The manufacture of brooms and brushes employs about 100 persons 
principally boys. 

THE CANNING BUSINESS. 

Canning of fruits and shrimp gives employment to only about 200 
persons. Two thousand people could be profitably employed in canning 
of fruits, vegetables, oysters and fish. 

CIGARS AND TOBACCO. 

The manufacture of cigars and tobacco employs about 1500 persons 
in New Orleans, many of whom are women and girls. It is estimated 
that the products of this business are near one and a quarter million of 
dollars. 

COTTON SEED OIL MILLS. 

These factories employ nearly 2000 hands, and yield an annual product 
of about three million dollars. These mills have formed an association 
which monopolizes the business. They pay very little for the seed and 
their profits are enormous. This business invites capital and competi- 
tion. 

COTTON MILLS. 

The only cotton factory now in operation in this city is the Lane 
Mills ; erected before the war, and now owned by Messrs. Lehman, 
Abraham & Co. These mills contained last year 68 looms and 2800 
spindles. They were so successfully worked that it was decided, this 
season to increase their capacity. For this purpose a large brick 
building was erected and machinery purchased which will increase 
the number of spindles to 6000 and the force from 110 to 360. The 
wages paid the women average from 35 cents to $1 25 per day. 

There were no changes in the wages last year and there is no likeli- 
hood of any change for some time. The product of the mill is now 
2500 pounds daily of osnaburgs, cloths, yarns and twine. With the 
new machinery in operation the production will be considerably more 
than doubled. The mill consumes about 1400 bales of cotton 
yearly now, and turns out sheeting, shirting, drillings, osnaburgs, 
duck, yarn, twine and batting of the value of $160,000 yearly. These 
goods are used locally and shipped to Galveston, Memphis, St. Louis, 
Philadelphia and New York. There have been no changes in the 
price, and business is about the same as last year. 

Besides the Lane Mills there is a probability of the opening of two 
other cotton mills here this fall ; the Louisiana cotton manufactory in 
the Third District, and the Maginnis Mills, which it is proposed tQ 
erect shortly. 



NEW ORLEANS MANUFACTURES. 91 



FLOUBING MILLS. 

There are several small mills in New Orleans, but the only mill of a 
capacity of 300 barrels per day was that of Webster & .Dillingham, 
which was recently destroyed by fire. It will be rebuilt immediately ; 
but the near completion of the New Orleans and Pacific Railroad will, 
no doubt, cause the erection of several other large mills to grind the 
Texas wheat which will come to this market. 

This business offers inducements to capitalists. 

LEATHER AND HARNESS. 
The exemption of this business from taxation for a period of ten 
years by the constitution of 1879 has given it an impetus The local 
trade is supplied and large shipments are made to Texas, Mississippi, 
Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. 

MEN'S CLOTHING. 
The manufacture of men's clothing gives employment to more than 
1000 persons turning ,'out over one million dollars' worth of clothing, 
and in addition to local trade supplying the contiguous States. 
MOSS GINNING. 
There are six moss ginneries in and around New Orleans, yielding a 
product of nearly ten million pounds of moss. This is a growing in- 
dustry and offers inducements to small as well as large capitalists. 
Not one-hundredth part of the annual moss crop is saved. 

SO IP. 
New Orleans has always enjoyed a large soap trade, due to the dis- 
covery of the use of cotton seed oil in the manufacture of soap. Tins 
makes the very finest grades of toilet and castile soap. It is used in 
this manufacture during the winter, but cannot be employed well dur- 
ing summer, and tallow and grease have to be used instead. It is not 
usual to run the soap factories during the hot months. This year, how- 
ever in consequence of the unusually heavy business done, Keller s 
factory has been running without intermission. New Orleans supplies 
all the neighboring States— Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Texas, 
and has lately been shipping extensively to Mexico. This industry 
gives employment to some 100 hands, and turns out annually products 
to the value of $250,000. ^ c ^ kmm 

The rice factories of thia city are a natural result of the increased 
cultivation of rice in Louisiana. Nearly the entire crop is sent to this 
citv in rough condition and has to be cleaned here. The productive 
capacity of the city mills is as follows : Perseverance, 40,000 barrels ; 
Brook 35 000; Steward & Thompson, 35,000; Ernest & Co., 35,000; 
American' 25 000; Louisiana, 18,000; Davids', 12,000; Merchants', 6,000; 
total 206 000 barrels. About 20,000 barrels can be cleaned in the coun- 
try The bulk of»fche cleaned rice is sold directly to shippers and city 
merchants 'The chief points of expert are St. Louis, Cincinnati, Chi- 
cago and New York. If the rice is broken in cleaning it is sold to the 
brewers, who use it in making beer. 

The receipts of rice the past year have been 230,000 barrels. 

MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES. 

Among the smaller manufacturing industries in New Orleans, of 
which only a passing mention can be made, are : 

Bags— These are msrinly for the cotton seea and similar bulky arti- 
cles The industry gives employment to 15 persons and turns out 
products to the value of $74,000. 



LOUISIANA. 



Bread products, mostly local bakeries -Employes, 300; products, 
$1,000,000. 
Carriages and wagons— Employes, 60 ; products, $160,000. 
Earthenware— Employes, 15; products, $160,000. 
Iron and boilers— Employes, 1,000 ; products, $1,200,000. 
Mattresses— Employes, 15 ; products, $12,f>00. 
Mineral water— Employes, 35 ; products, $90,000. 
Perfumery- Employes, 18, products, $50,000. 
Refrigerators— Employes, 6 ; products, $25,000. 
Saw mills and sash factories— Employes, 300 ; products, $500,000. 
Sugar refining— Employes, 200 ; products, $1,400,000. 
Vermicelli— Employes, 20 ; products, $35,000. 
Willow ware— Employes, 10 ; products, $11,000. 



OCEAN LINES FROM NEW ORLEANS TO OTHER 

PORTS. 

THE WEST INDIA AND PACIFIC LINE 

of steamers, T. and G. Forwood, agents, consists of thirteen first-claes 
iron vessels which will average 2000 tons burden each, or will aggregate 
2t5,O0O tons carrying capacity. This line runs between Liverpool, West 
Indian and Mexican ports and New Orleans. The ships bring out from 
Bordeaux ahd Havre large cargoes, which they distribute along their 
route. At the Antillian and Mexican ports the vessels obtain small 
quantities of cargo and arrive here to complete their freights. At this 
port they have to take on board grain— principally for ballast— cotton 
and cotton seed cake. These vessels have no regular time for arrival 
or departure, but generally leave here at the rate of one a week. 

THE MISSISSIPPI AND DOMINION LINE 

Silas Weeks & Co., agents, comprises ten first-class steamers, with 
three more in course of construction. Liverpool is the headpuarters 
of the line and the point of departure for the vessels, which run to 
Corona, Spain, thence to Havana, and from thence to New Orleans, 
from which latter port they freight for Europe direct. 

Their cargoes from here are "cotton, grain and oil-cake principally. 
This line does a large outward freight and passenger traffic with Cuba. 

THE NORTH-GERMAN LLOYD 
Steamship Line, Ed. F. Stockmeyer & Co., agents, is composed of five 
first-class iron vessels ; the route is from Bremen to New Orleans via 
Southampton and Havana, while one steamer arrives at this port about 
every twenty days. The coming and going of these vessels is irregu- 
lar ; that is to say, they cannot be said to have regular days of sailing. 
They generally bring full cargoes of German assorted goods and de- 
part laden with cotton, oil, seed cake, etc. They take no cargo for any 
other European port save Bremen. During the last season, before the 
quarantine regulations were enforced, the steamers of the line brought 
to this port several thousand emigrants, the most of whom went to 
Texas, although some settled in this State. On one of her trips the 
Frankfurt alone brought 1100 steerage passengers. 



OCEAN LINES OF STEAMERS, 93 



THE HAEBISON LINE, 

Lucus E. Moore & Co., agents, is composed of twenty- five vessels, and 
is one of the largest lines that sails out of Liverpool. Its route lies 
among the West Indian islands and the ports of Central America and 
and Mexico from Colon (or Aspinwall) to Tampico. But few of the 
vessels touch at this port — not more than two in a month, even in win- 
ter. Those vessels of this line that come here procure at least half 
their return cargoes at the intertropical ports they visit. At this port 
they finish loading with cottoD, grain, oil, seed cake, etc. 

THE OLANO LABBINAGA & CO.'S 

line of Spanish steamers is composed of eight fine, large iron vessels. 
Avendano Bros., agents. These vessels sail from Liverpool to several 
Spanish ports, and thence to Puerto Eico, Cuban ports and New Or- 
leans. During the winter months a vessel of this line will leave this 
port every ten days. After procuring as much cargo as they can at the 
different ports of the Antilles at which they touch, these vessels will 
call at New Orleans to finish loading, and will carry hence grain, cot- 
ton, etc., to Liverpool, via Havana. This line has a large share of the 
passenger trade of this port with the West India Islands, and is pro- 
vided with all modern conveniences for this species of traffic. The 
vessels are new, and one of them last year carried to Liverpool the 
largest cargo of cotton that has ever left the port in one vessel. 

THE SEEEA LINE 

of Spanish steamers is composed of thirteen fine large vessels, mostly 
new. L. Eanger & Co., agents. This line's route is from Liverpool, 
via Havana and West Indian ports, to New Orleans. At this port the 
vessels complete their lading and then sail for Liverpool direct. Dur- 
ing the winter months about two vessels of this line touch here per 
month. Their principal homeward freight is cotton from here to Liv- 
erpool. 

^SPANISH FLAG LINE, 

A. K. Miller, agent. "This line possesses ten vessels, which run from 
Liverpool to New Orleans via Cuban ports. At this port they load with 
cotton and grain direct for Liverpool. During the winter months, at 
least, one vessel of the line will touch at New Orleans every two weeks. 

THE ADAMS LINE, 

Eorstall, Eoss & Clayton, agents ; during the summer four vessels of 
the line were engaged in t]»e trade. Their route is betwen London 
and the Cresent City. London is a new port for berth business with 
New Orleans, but the agents say that the success the line met with 
this summer leads them to anticipate a greatly increased traffic during 
the winter months, and will be probably one of the most important 
lines that engages in freight traffic at this port. 

The firm of Eorstall, Eoss & Clayton also do a large chartering and 
birth business, in steam and sail, to Europe, and load many of the 
grain vessels that sail out of this port. 

THE TEANSATLANTIC LINE, 

G. Grande, agent. This line is comprised of several fine iron ships, 
and during the winter one of its vessels leaves this port every fifteen 
days, direct for Havre, loaded with cotton, etc On the trip from Eu- 
rope the vessels stop at numerous West Indian and Mexican ports and 
take on freight. They complete their cargoes at New Orleans. Some 
of these vessels bring passengers from West Indian and Mexican 
ports to this city every trip. 



94 LOUISIANA. 



The firms of C. B. French and Hall & Vaughan do a general char- 
tering and berth business to Europe, in steam and sail vessels, and 
load a great quantity of the grain that comes down for foreign ship- 
ment. Their steamers come and go irregularly, having no stated days 
for arrival or departure, while the most of them engage in the freight 
traffic. Some carry grain only, others carry grain, cotton and cotton 
seed cake. 

THE MORGAN COASTING STEAMSHIP LINES. 

The Morgan company possess numerous steamships, which are en- 
gaged in carrying freight and passengers to different points along the 
coast of the United States. These lines are as fo^ow • 

To New York. 

To Galveston, Clinton, Corpus Christi. 

To Indianola. 

To Brazos de Santiago. 

Also three lines that trade with foreign ports : 

To Havana via Cedar Keys and Key West. 

To Havana from Indianola, Texas. 

To Vera Cruz via Galveston. 

MORGAN'S LINE TO NEW YOEK. 

Five large iron freight steamers are engaged in this traffic, and bring 
on an average weekly about 15,000 barrels of freight for Texas alone. 
besides that which is destined for this port. During the winter months 
this trade is much more important. For the last few months one 
steamer of this line per week arrived at and left this port ; but in win- 
ter the trade demands two, which will leave their wharf every Wednes- 
day and Saturday. These vessels bring assorted cargoes from New 
York, which are distributed at this city and along the gulf coast and 
the interior of Texas. The former by the coast steamers and the latter 
through the medium of the Morgan railroad. Their outward cargoes 
to New York consist of Southern produce— cotton, sugar, rice, cotton 
seed cake, molasses, etc. 

TEXAS LINES OF STEAMERS. 

Several fine iron steamers belonging to this company are engaged In 
the passenger and freight carrying trade between New Orleans, Galves- 
ton, Clinton and Corpus Christi via Morgan City. This line makes four 
trips a week, every alternate trip going further along the coast to 
Corpus Christi. During the winter months the traffic on this route is 
very lively and necessitates the employment of more vessels. Their 
cargoes are assorted goods brought to this port from the North and 
transhipped to the Gulf ports by this line, as well as wares of different 
kinds shipped direct from here. 

THE INDIANOLA LINE. 

One Morgan steamer makes regular trips, twice a week, carrying 
freight and passengers from Galveston to Indianola. A large portion 
of the freight carried by this vessel comes from New Orleans via the 
Galveston and Clinton line of steamers. The traffic between the Cres- 
cent City and Texas Gulf portions is steadily increasing, while the 
various steamers bring valuable return cargoes to Morgan City. A 
great deal of cotton, hides, etc., is shipped from Indianola to this 
port ; some of it is transhipped to Valley commercial centres and to 
the North. 

THE MORGAN LINE TO VERA CRUZ. 

During the winter one of the Morgan steamers leaves Morgan City 
for Vera Cruz, via Galveston, every sixteen days. The vessel runs 
directly to Vera Cruz without touching at any of the way Mexican 



OCEAN LINES OF STEAMERS. 95 



coast ports on the voyage. This line receives a small subsidy each 
trip from the Mexican Government for carrying the. mail between 
Vera Cruz and Galveston. It brings to this port, via the railroad from 
Morgan City, coffee and other Mexican products, and carries on its 
outward trips assorted cargo, cotton and numerous passengers. 

LINE TO HAVANA. 

During those months that no quarantine regulations are enforced at 
New Orleans against the intertropical ports, two fine iron Morgan 
steamers, 1000 tons each, ply between the Crescent City, Cedar Keys, 
Key West and the port of Havana, Cuba. Their outward cargoes are 
principally Western produce, with quantities of Indian corn and other 
kinds of grain. The return cargoes are sugar, cigars, tobacco, melado 
and other products of the island. One steamer per week leaves the 
company's wharf on this route, generally well freighted and with 
numerous passengers. 

LINE TO BEAZOS. 

The steamer Aeansas, a fine iron vessel, leaves Morgan City for 
Brazos de Santiago every 10 days. This boat carries an assorted cargo 
and connects at Brazos with the railroad, which runs from Point 
Isabel to Brownsville. On the return trip the vessel stops at one or 
two Texas ports and takes on a cargo of cattle for this market. The 
passenger traffic between Browsville and this port is quite large and 
is constantly increasing. 

THE NEW OBLEANS AND MEXICAN STEAMSHIP LINE. 

This line was established by F. Alexandre & Sons in the year 1875. 
One steamer, the City of Merida, is engaged on this route, and makes 
a round trip every twenty-one days. E. A. Yorke & Co. are the agents 
in this city. The steamer touches going and coming at the Mexican 
ports of Bagdad, Tampico, Tuxpan and Vera Cruz. Her outward car- 
goes are composed of assorted goods, and during the winter months 
mostly cotton. 

LINES TO CENTEAL AMEEICA. 

THE MACHECA LINE TO ENGLISH AND SPANISH CENTRAL AMERICA. 

The Macheca Bros, have for many years been engaged in a profitable 
traffic with the coast of Central America and the islands of the Carib- 
bean archipelago. At present this firm has several schooners making 
regular trips to and from the coast and the islands, carrying thither 
lumber, assorted goods and Western produce, and bringing back to this 
port the varied productions of the tropics, but particularly fruits. Two 
years and a half ago, Capt. James Leitch obtained a subsidy of $22,000 
per year from the colony of British Honduras for the establishment of 
a regular mail line between New Orleans and Belize. This arrange- 
ment was consummated by Gov. F. P. Barlee, the present executive of 
British Honduras, who has constantly shown a desire to enter into 
closer trade relations with this port. 

THE OTERI LINE TO SPANISH HONDURAS AND THE CARIBBEAN ARCHIPELAGO. 

This enterprising firm has for many vears engaged in the freight and 
fruit traffic between this port and Central America. They have several 
schooners engaged in the trade, and also a little iron steamer, the S. 
B. Ward, Jr. The latter runs between New Orleans and several ports 
on the coast of Spanish Honduras and the islands of the Caribbean sea. 

She takes out assorted cargoes, and on her return trip brings to this 
port Central American produce and, principally, tro^aeal fruits. This 
traffic is also increasing rapidly. 



96 LOUISIANA. 



NEW OELEANS TO FLOBIDA POETS. 

The steamer Amite, Post & Son agents, with a carrying capacity of 
2200, leaves this port every two weeks for Pensacola, Cedar Key, St. 
Marks, and Apalachicola, Florida. The cargo carried to these ports 
generally consists of various kinds of Western produce. The trade to 
Pensacola is very small ; the vessel stops there more to replenish her 
coal bunkers than to procure freight. 

During the past year the Amite brought to this city from the above 
named Florida ports 2000 bales of cotton, 200 tons of cotton seed, a 
quantity of flour and 150 barrels of sugar and syrup. She occasionally 
stops at Mobile on her return trip. The last voyage she brought from 
this latter port 1400 barrels of rosin. She also carried 600 passengers 
during the year. 

The Amite connects at Cedar Keys with the mail steamers from Key 
West, Tampa Bay and Charlott's Harbor, and with the Transit Bail- 
road to Jacksonville ; at St. Marks with the Jacksonville, Pensacola 
and Mobile road to Tallahassee; at Apalachicola with the Central and 
People's line of boats for all points on the Chattahoochee and Flint 
rivers. 

THE CEOMWELL LINE OF STE1MEBS TO NEW YOEK. 

This old established line has at present four first-class iron steamers 
on the route, while two others, much larger than the rest, are in course 
of construction at Chester. 

Every week a vessel of the line arrives at and departs from this port, 
and brings here and carries outward a large cargo of varied freight. 
From New York the cargoes consist of assorted goods, which are des- 
tined for this port and for numerous places up the Mississippi Eiver. 
A large quantity of heavy freight is brought from New York by this 
line for shipment, per river boats, to St. Louis. Thus the coast and 
river transportation compete favorably with the Northern roads for 
freight destined for the cities of the upper Mississippi valley, when 
time is of little consideration and when the goods are not of a perish- 

Si hi f* Y\ fi tllT'P 

THE OUTWAED FEEIGHTS 
are entirely composed of Southern products- rice, cotton, cotton seed 
cake, sugar, molasses, etc. The vessels also carry quantities of Central 
American and Mexican freight, brought to this port by the Wanderer, 
the E. B. Ward, the Alexandre and Morgan lines, from Vera Cruz and 
the numerous schooners engaged in the intertropical trade. Some of 
this latter freight is transhipped at New York for Liverpool, Havre and 
Bremen, such as the coffee, rubber, cedar and dye-woods of Central 
America and also of Mexico. This winter the Cromwell lines propose 
to put two steamers per week on this route. 



THE EAD3 ISTHMIAN RAILWAY. 

[New Orleans Democrat-] 

The proposed route of the shir> railway over the Mexican isthmus is, 
to round numbers, about 150 miles long, and will lead in a direction 
nearly north and south, or from the Pacific side north to the Gulf 
coast. As there are two rivers running along the route, Mr. Eads will 
utilize them for some fifty miles; thus the actual length of the ship 
railway will not be much more than 100 miles. On the Pacific side the 
water is sufficiently deep to admit the approach of Vessels- of any draft, 
while on the Gulf coast a port may easily be constructed with but little 
expense to the company. 



THE SOUTH. 97 



The study of a large map— on the Mercator projection— will convince 
an impartial mind that this ship railway will accomplish a revolution 
in the existing traffic lines and trade routes of the entire planet, while 
at the same time the happy situation of the Crescent City, which is 
within 1000 miles of the northern terminus of the railway is strikingly 
apparent. The great steamers and large sailing vessels engaged in the 
China trade, instead of rounding Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope, 
or going by the Suez Canal, will save thousands of miles of distance 
and many days time by taking advantage of Capt. Eads's new route. 
The expense attending their transportation over the isthmus will be 
small when compared to the money gai&ed by the great economy of 
time and distance. 

The Australian trade with this continent has hitherto been— at least 
since the completion of the Pacific Railroad— with San Francisco. The 
vessels engaged in this traffic, whose cargoes are destined for the val- 
ley cities and the Eastern markets of this republic, will sail from the 
South Sea direct for the railway, and will be carried over and launched 
into the gulf. The majority of them will proceed to this city and un- 
load their precious freight at our levee. They will carry from here 
cargoes of cotton, of grain and of cotton seed "oil to Europe, while it 
will not be Ions before lines of steamers will ply direct between the 
transequatorial ports of Australia and our city via the new isthmian 
route. 

as but slight and variable winds prevail in this region ftjr the greater 
part of the year, and but few coasting steamers break the flow of the 
waters, the traffic along the Pacific coast of South America, from Val- 
paraiso northward, is still in its infancy. When the Eads railway is 
completed numerous little steamers from 500 to 1000 tons- burden will 
ply along the now almost, deserted coast, and will bring via this isth- 
mian route their cargoes of valuable but unique productions to the 
Crescent City. They will carry back with them full freights of the 
farm products, the manufactured textile goods and the machinery and 
hardware of the United States to the numerous transequatorial ports 
which are now supplied with these goods direct from Europe. 



THE SOUTH. 

Dr. I. T. Tichenor, President of the Agricultural Col- 
lege of Alabama, says in the Rdigious Herald : 

" The South has the grandest destiny the world ever saw. No peo- 
ple have such a future. Her soil, her climate, her products, her min- 
eral resources, her manufacturing resources, her manufacturing facili- 
ties, present a combination of advantages such as are found in do 
other land. The high moral tone of her people, the strength of her 
Christian faith, the culture of her highest classes, place the South 
where no other people stand. 

" The small buddings on the great oak prove that it has survived 
the winter and spring is at hand. The survival of the misfortunes of 
the past is one of the grandest evidences of the strength of our civili- 
zation, and betokens the coming of a better day. Indeed, that day 
has already dawned. Go where you may over the South, you will see 
evidences of improvement in every department of industry. The fact 
that Northern capital is taking possession of the railroads of the 
South shows that the North has faith in the future of the South. 
Never before were there so many great railroads being constructed in 
our region. 

13 



98 LOUISIANA. 



"The Northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico is the natural center of 
trade for the Western hemisphere. The configuration of the continent, 
the directions of the great rivers, the sweep of the ocean currents and 
the prevailing winds all point to the mouth of the Mississippi as the 
natural centre. There is land enough adapted to the growth of sugar 
continguous to New Orleans to supply the wants of the continent and 
to furnish vast amounts for exportation. It only needs the proper ap- 
plication of machinery and labor to effect this great result. As to 
cotton, the lowlands along the Mississippi river can produce ten mil- 
lion bales annually. New Orleans is to be the grand emporium of 
trade for the continent. When ship communication is made across the 
Isthmus, New Orleans must become the great centre of trade for North 
America ; and nothing can divert it but an imperial despotism holding 
huge investments of capital elsewhere. 

'^Take it all in all, the smiling sun never looked upon a better coun- 
try or a grander people than we have here in the South." 



RAILWAY SYSTEM TRIBUTARY TO NEW 
ORLEANS. 

THE GEEAT JACKSON KAILEOAD 

is tributary to New Orleans for a distance of 550 miles, and with its 
branches and Southern connections, freights to this city the various 
products of an area of territory of not less than 60,000 square miles. 

The cotton freighted to New Orleans by this trunk line, from July 31, 
1880, to July 31, 1881, shipped at 76 local stations along the road, 
amounted to 227,257 bales, and that brought to the line by eight con- 
necting roads during the same period aggregated 191,096 bales. Of this 
total the 

Illinois Central furnished bales 2,386 

TheM. Pand Northern Railroad 644 

The Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Eailroad 745 

Louisville and Mashville 2,508 

Mobile and Ohio 2 

Memphis and Charleston 7,584 

Mississippi and Tennessee „ 128,455 

Vicksburg and Meridian 48,772 

By the trunk line proper 227,357 

Total cotton freighted to New Orleans for the year ending July 

31, 1881, by the Jackson and its connections 418,453 

THE LOUISVILLE AND NASHVILLE RAILEOAD. 

This grand trunk line and the Mobile and Ohio railroad and their 
numerous branches and connections drain an area of territory of over 
100,000 square miles. 

All this country should be, and to a greBt degree is, tributary to New 
Orleans, to which point a large portion of the agricultural products of 
the entire region are freighted. 

This important railroad system taps the four States of Mississippi, 
Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky, and also a small portion of North- 
eastern Louisiana, and through its connections unites with the systems 
of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia. 

Along the line of the 



RAILWAY SYSTEM. 99 



MOBILE AND NEW ORLEANS DIVISION 

of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad are situated a number of very 
pretty watering places, which are visited every year by citizens of all 
portions of *:he State, but particularly by those of New Orleans. 
Indeed, from Bay St. Louis to Ocean Springs it is one uninterrupted 
line of beautiful summer residences. Large sums have been expended 
in beautifying these, and it is estimated that at least $10,000,000 has 
been spent in the last twenty years on the farms, villas and orchards 
that line Mississippi sound. 

THE MORGAN LOUISIANA AND TEXAS RAILROAD. 

The Morgan interest is a most important factor in the great railway 
system that connects the Crescent City with the western part of this 
State and with the southern, central and eastern portions of Texas ; 
by the Iron Mountain and the Texas Pacific with that vast system that 
centres at St. Louis ; by the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio 
Road with the Southern continuation of the International, which 
crosses the frontier at Laredo and connects with the Palmer-Sullivan 
Roads, that drain the immense eastern-central portion of the Republic 
of Mexico. 

THE LOUISIANA AND TEXAS RAILROAD 
is a first-class and abundantly equipped road. It possesses admiral 
terminal facilities. At Algiers its river front is 2000 feet, and is wharfed, 
shedded over and inclosed, affording berths for three large ships to 
simultaneously receive and discharge cargoes. It has a system of 
tracks which enables loaded and empty cars to be put immediately 
along side the shipping ; a modern and powerful compress, from which 
cotton is trucked directly to the ship ; vast steam- working machinery 
whereby ships are discharged, and what, in the near future, will be 
the desideratum, room for grain elevators of the largest bize, with an 
entire system of tracks contiguous to them. Its transfer facilities are 
on a magniiicent footing. The transfer boat Enterprise, alone, handles 
400 cars easily per day, carrying sixteen at a load, while her ad- 
junct, now nearly completed, will carry twelve cars at once. In New 
Orleans the depot at Elysian Fields, that at St. Ann street, and the 
vast grounds and buildings at Poydras street, afford room for the ad- 
mission of an unlimited amount of freight. 

The companv's buildings, works and machinery, quite recently 
erected, are perhaps the largest in this section of the country, and en- 
able it to expeditiously perform the varied work required by its rail 
and shipping interests. 

FROM ALGIERS TO MORGAN CITY 

the distance is eighty miles. The route lies along the southern portion 
of the State, and taps the country for some forty miles north of the 
track, and south to the low, muddy shores washed by the Mexican 
Gulf. At Morgan City a fine bridge is in course of construction, and 
will be completed soon. At present the trains are freighted over 
by means of immense ferry-boats. The route from Algiers to Morgan 
City, for some miles to the former point, is through beautiful and flour- 
ishing sugar and rice plantations, which alternate with vast swamps, 
where cypress trees of huge dimensions are at their roots covered with 
semi-stagnant water for several months in the year. Numerous small 
■farmers have pre-empted State and Government land, and are success- 
fully engaged in husbandry, raising crops of sugar, rice, corn and gar- 
den truck along this line. A great many freedmen have also estab- 
lished themselves along this division of the line, and produce on an 
average two or three bales of cotton, with a sufficiency of corn for their 
family use. They also collect Spanish moss from the cypress trees in 
the swamps. 



100 LOUISIANA. 



FEOM BEEWICK CITY TO VEEMILIONVILLE, 

a distance of sixty-four miles, the line passes through a magnificent 
farming country, where sugar, cotton and oranges are produced in 
great abundance. 

Already the beneficial effects of communication by railroad of a new 
country with a seaport are visible. Many of the old settlements have 
greatly increased, but particularly New Iberia and Vermilionville. 

At this latter point the road branches off 

IN AN ALMOST NOETHEELY DIEECTION. 

towards Alexandria, on the Eed Eiver. This city is eighty- four miles 
distant from Vermilionville. The region through which this branch 
passes is one of the most fertile districts in the State, and along the 
entire line of the track presents the appearance of a long, continuous 
plantation. Besides the other crops a bonsiderable quantity of corn 
is raised by the farmers of the locality. This part of the road is at 
present completed to Chenneyville, twenty-four miles south of Alex- 
andria, where it connects with the grand Gould system by the New 
Orleans division of the Texas Pacific. 

From the terminus at Vermilionville the Morgan interest connects 
with 

THE LOUISIANA WESTEEN EOAD, 

which forms the eastern end of the vast Huntington system, and crosses 
the southern limits of Texas, and through its connections with the 
Texas Central— five-eighths of which line is owned by the Morgan 
Company— drains the northern and central portions of the Lone Star 
State, 

The New Orleans and Texas line, of the Morgan interest, drains an 
extent of country comprising at least 18,000 square miles of territory, 
entirely within the limits of the State of Louisiana. 

THE HUNTINGTON SYSTEM 

at San Antonio controls the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio 
line to Houston, also the Texas and New Orleans Louisiana Western to 
Vermilionville, thus linking El Paso and San Antonio with New Mexico 
and Arizona and with the seaport of New San Diego, in Southern Cali- 
fornia. The great Huntington system will tap the entire southwestern 
frontier of the United States and the northwestern of our sister republic 
of Mexico. 

THE GULF WESTEEN LINE. 

is completed to Cuero, a distance from the port of Indianola, Texas, of 
seventy-five miles. At Cuero the projected route strikes off in a north- 
western direction to San Antonio, and from thence will connect with 
the Texas Pacific road about sixty miles from Fort Worth. 

From the country on either side of the road, from Indianola to Ci.ero, 
a large quantity of stock, hides, bones and cotton comes to the port oi 
Indianola, from whence it is freighted to the Crescent City by the Mor- 
gan Texas line of steamers. 

LIST OF, AND AMOUNT OF, PEINCIPAL AETICLES CAERIED 
BY THE MORGAN EAILEOAD AND STEAMSHIPS TO TEXAS 
AND ELSEWHEEE. 

Car loads. Tons. 

To Texas by railroad and steamships 14,281 142,853 

To Teche and local stations 10,623 106,253 



BAIL WA Y SYSTEM. 101 



PRINCIPAL EEOEIPTS. 

, . 176,817 

Cotton, bales 45,510 

Sugar, hhds ; 23,961 

Sugar, bbls -- "' _ 77,773 

Molasses, bbls — 51 q$q 

Woolsacks.. r 109J384 

Cotton seed, sacks. 99,815 

Oats, sacks 17',928 

Wheat', sacks 32,482 

Corn, sacks — - 3'424 

Horses and mules - 31)126 

Cows and beeves 15' 670 

Calves and yearlings ie'912 

Hogs and sheep - 77'e71 

Hides, pkgs - 80,000 

Hoofs and horns, pounds -- g ., s - S50 

Bones and bone meal - 

rrTTP WPW ORLEANS PACIFIC RAILROAD AND THE GRE .T 
THE NEW °gJg^^ij RN "COULD SYSTEM." 

ThAva^t railroad svstem, which already possesses several thousand 

mPrSal centres of the West and the Mississippi Valley; Denyei, Col 
bvthP Port Worth and Denver Railroad and with projected lines that 
^veKllyStlMdtofornione of the grandest railroad systems 
fn the world and which will reticulate the immense regions of the 
West 7n L Southwest in all directions. Of this vast railroad system 
?M^Ktte southern outlet and j™ ^^*J*£$ 
,,,y^h will centre all the various products ot tins wide extenueu tein 
tor£ dlstLed for domestic consumption and for shipment to foreign 

m The e Une along which all this immense amount of freight will be 
brought to New Orleans is the 

NEW ORLEANS PACIFIC, 
, • i, • -„„wioH in the Ooulcl svstem and which is finished to a short 

SEEKS 8£* £m s-a 5sw«s 

"8S company *Wfi&%&»Sp25S?&£5> T$Kn3 
of an. immense fee ight .depot <™ K*,^ t McDonogb, where a pas- 

T< ^te^&toS°^'i^^e"ll be soonVmpleted; also 
senger depot 48uteetioupuvo company possesses 

a freight an d transfer depot 12TO teet lon = . . i bank 1 . nd ) 9 ,!„ Eee t on 
82S£ Wtte ^gMde'pof 8^ feet long, will be sitnated, and 
also a commodious passenger depot. 

That portion of the line 

FROM NEW ORLEANS TO DONALDSONVILLE, 

,,. onro nf qixtv fl ve miles, was recently purchased from the Morgan 
Company! °SiSt hlsfelfen under the. new management it has been 



102 LOUISIANA. 



greatly improved in several material respects. It closely follows the 
Mississippi Kiver until within a short distance south of Baton Bouge, 
where it branches off to the southwest 

The route lies through several of our most fertile parishes, over 
numerous cause, rice and corn fields, while the view presented to the 
traveler is a long vista of agricultural prosperity. At this station the 
road crosses the Bayou Lafourche, along whose banks are situated 
several of the most important plantations in the State. The soil in this 
region is exceedingly fertile and yields in some places as high as two 
hogsheads of sugar per acre. 

FBOM DONALDSONYILLE TO ALEXANDBIA 
the road passes through a grand cane and cotton country, and will 
drain a great extent of territory which has hitherto been tributary to 
the Bed Biver and the Mississippi. At Bosedale, about forty-five miles 
above Donaldsonville, the Gros Tete Company has constructed a branch 
road from Baton Bouge to the trunk line, which connects the latter with 
West Baton Bouge. 

For crossing the Atchafalaya Biver at Churchville a large and finely 
appointed ferry-boat, capable of transporting eight cars, was a few days 
ago turned over to the company by the builders. 

FBOM ALEXANDBIA TO SHBEYEPOBT, 

a distance of 130 miles, the route lies through a remarkably rich and 
fertile country, which produces a large quantity of sugar and cotton. 
A branch road twelve miles in length, and which runs south along a 
little bayou, will connect the trunk line with the thriving town of 
Natchitoches. At Pleasant Hill a forest composed of various kinds of 
hard wood trees reaches to far beyond the Texas line. This timber is 
valuable for many purposes and bids fair to become an important 
article of traffic. 

AT SHBEVEPOBT 

this division of the road connects with the Texas, Pacific, which passes 
through Longview and Marshall to Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, 
and is completed 400 miles west to the latter point. 

This New Orleano division of the Texas Pacific Bailroad, from New 
Orleans to Shreveport, which cuts through the very centre of the 
State in a generally northwestern direction, will drain of its varied 
agricutural products an area of territory not less than 1000 miles. All 
this country, with its thousands of plantations and farms, its flourish- 
ing orange groves and its thriving towns and villages, will be tributary 
to New Orleans. The road will open to our merchants a new and 
steadily increasing traffic, which will give a great and happy impulse 
to our Internal commerce. New Orleans, as the only deep water port 
on the entire Gulf coast, will be the commercial depot of all the vast 
region drained by the Gould system of railroads. 

THE PBOPOSED NATCHEZ AND NEW OELEANS BAILBOAD. 

The people of the Florida parishes of this State, and those of South- 
western Mississippi also, are greatly interested in this proposed rail- 
road. 

The design is to construct a road that will connect New Orleans and 
Natchez, and develop the fine cotton country lying back of the river. 

Two plans have been suggested— one joining the Jackson Bailroad 
at Pontchatoula, and the other and more probable one connecting with 
the New Orleans Pacific at Baton Bouge, The road will consequently 
run through the counties of Adams and Wilkinson, Mississippi, and 
the parishes of East Feliciana and East Baton Bouge, in this State. 
It would not be over eighty miles in length, and would pass through a 



RAILWAY SYSTEM. 103 



country free from large streams, and in which railroad building would 
be cheap and easy. Nearly all this portion of the two States of Missis- 
sippi and Louisiana is well adapted to the cultivation of cotton. The 
land was formerly well cultivated, but being removed from lines of 
transportation, and distant from market, the cotton fields have gradu- 
ally fallen into neglect and are now deserted. The land is finely tim- 
bered, and the new road will bring an immense quantity of hard-wood 
timber to our market. 

This road will of course be advantageous to this city. Natchez is a 
prosperous city, and several lines are already building out from it in 
all directions. It is probable, moreover, that it will in time form a por- 
tion of quite a long and important trunk line, running parallel to the 
river and between it and the Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans. A 
railroad is now under construction between Memphis and Vicksburg. 
The completion of this line and the building of the Natchez and New 
Orleans will leave only a short break between New Orleans and " the 
Bluff City," and form a trunk line through the richest country on the 
globe. 

THE EELANGER SYNDICATE. 

This company has purchased the following roads : 
The Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific— partly constructed : 
The Vicksburg and Meridian; and proposes to construct the New 
Orleans and Northeastern Eailroad from Meridian to New Orleans, a 
distance of 200 miles. 

The two lines from Vicksburg will complete the connection between 
the terminus of the Alabama Great Southern Eoad and the terminus 
of the Texas Pacific Railway, at the Texas State boundary line. They 
traverse the cotton belt of Mississippi and Texas. 

The projected line from Meridian to New Orleans will form a con- 
nection between the southern terminus of the Alabama Great South- 
ern Eoad at Meridian and the important districts traversed by it and 
the port of New Orleans. It is said this will also be the shortest route 
for traffic between New Orleans, Washington, Philadelphia, New York 
and other Northern and Western commercial centres. 

The unfinished and projected roads of this company will become 
important factors in the development of the trade of New Orleans with 
the vast interior. Through them sections of country, now far from 
railroad lines, will be opened to commerce, the greater part of whose 
agricultural products should find their way to this port. 



A. SKETCH 



— or THE — 



I^sirlsl^es of" X-iCU-IsIsiiaLSL- 



ASCENSION PARISH. 

The following is taken from L the official report of Prof. E. W. Hil- 
gard, to the Census Bureau : 

"Population : 16,895. White, 5968 ; colored, 10,927. 

Area: 373 square miles. Woodland, all. All alluvial land. 

Tilled land : 37,908 acres. Area planted in cotton, 1285 ; in corn, 6112 
acres ; in sweet potatoes, 241. acres ; in sugar cane, 15,545 acres. 

Cotton production : 592 bales ; average cotton product per acre, 0.48 
bale. 657 pounds seed-cotton, or 219 pounds cotton lint. 

Ascension parish is throughout alluvial ; the portion fronting on the 
Mississippi Biver. is identical in character with that of the "coast" of 
Iberville ; the parish is almost entirely a sugar-growing one, and the 
lands highly productive. The parish town, Donaldsonville, is a thriv- 
ing village of about 2000 inhabitants, and at one time was inclined to 
dispute precedence with New Orleans and Baton Bouge. No detailed 
data regarding the portion of the parish lying east of the Mississippi 
Biver have come into my possession. It appears that Lake Maurepas, 
which on the north and east is bordered by such extensive swamps, is 
edged by only a narrow fringe of the sarnie south of the A.mite Biver, 
where it adjoins this parish, which would thus seem to possess an un- 
usual proportion of cultivatable land." 

By far the larger portion of this parish lies east of the Mississippi 
Biver. 

The river front from one to three miles back is occupied by some of 
the finest sugar plantations in the State. 

Opposite Donaldsonville is the little village of Darrowville, which 
has sprung up within the last few years, 

The land on this side of the river is generally alluvial, but on the 
northern boundary there is a strip of bluff land, three or four miles 
wide and about fifteen miles in length. 

The New river, Amite and Manchac are thickly settled with small 
farmers, who are industrious and thrifty. 

Ascension produced last season 16,913 hogsheads of sugar and 12,341 
barrels of milled rice. 



I*n Louisiana Counties are called Parishes. 



ASSUMPTION PARISH. 105 



ASSUMPTION PARISH. 

BY HON. W. W. PUGH, NAPALEONVILLE 

The parish of Assumption is situated on both banks of the La- 
fourche (one of the outlets which carries the waters of the Mississippi 
to the Gulf of Mexico), commencing about four miles below the town 
of Donaldsonville, on the great river, and extends about twenty-five 
miles along the Lafourche. 

Soil.— Our lands may be subdivided into three distinct soils : 

1. That which is called sandy, in which loam is the principal ingre- 
dient. 

2. The mixed soil, in which sand and black earth are about equal. 

3. Black land, containing little or no sand, and characterized by the 
inhabitants as "black land" or terre grasse (fat land). Each grade has 
its advocates, as well as its advantages in cultivation, except the 
"terre grasse, although it possesses fine white clover for pasturage, is 
well adapted to rice, and causes the cane to ripen at an earlier date in 
the fall of the year, the objection being to its stiffness, difficulty of 
drainage, and requiring stronger teams to break it thoroughly. 

Of the first and second soils the latter has the preference, as it is 
more durable and is of a warmer nature. 

The pea crop is almost in universal use as a fertilizer, and in those 
instances in which this system has been persistently adhered to before 
the virgin soil became tired from a constant succession of the same ex- 
haustive crops, these fields rival freshly cleared lands in the abundance 
and luxuriousness of their yield. 

The plantations along the stream are generally laid off in large tracts 
(though there are many small ones), the front portion being appro- 
priated to cane and corn, and the rear lands to tenants who cultivate 
rice. 

In the rear of the plantations, which usually extend back to eighty acres 
are found dry bayous having high lands on each banks; these ridges 
are mostly occupied by small proprietors, who cultivate cane, corn, 
cotton and rice, and such other crops as contribute to the comfort of 
their homes and the support of their families. 

Schools and Churches. - The school system is a good one, so far as the 
means of the State permit an allocation of funds for that purpose. So 
far the taxes imposed for the benefit of education, in common with 
those imposed for other purposes, have not been as closely connected 
as they should be, and in consequence the schools have not been kept 
in active operation, as they would be under favorable circumstances. 
Time will undoubtedly bring a remedy for this evil, when the masses 
who are dependent on the free school system for an education will be 
willing to add to the State fund by private subscription. 

The parish is well supplied with churches, and each denomination 
can attend its own place of worship without any inconvenience. Those 
who belong to the Roman Church are largely in the ascendant in point 
of numbers, and possesses some fine houses of worship. Great liber- 
ality in religious matters prevails, and the different sects cordially 
unite in the promotion of charitable objects. 

Mechanics and Laborers. — There is a constant demand at remunera- 
tive prices for mechanical engineers, carpenters, smiths and field 
hands. The amount of machinery in sugar-houses of an expensive 
character creates a great demand for the best talent in the repair and 
supply of engines, vacuum-pans, centrifugals and sugar-mills. On the 
efficiency of the machinery necessary to take off a crop of sugar cane 
depends the success of a whole year's work, and must be done in proper 
time or the planter suffers great loss. 

Products.— Sugar and rice are the principal staples for bringing money 

U 



106 LOUISIANA. 



into the planter's treasury, the latter crop being cultivated to some ex- 
tent since the termination of the war in 1865, and the area devoted to 
its production being annually on the increase. 

The cane, though said to be a forced crop in our climate, owing to 
improved cultivation, the experience obtained by long familiarity with 
its management and conversion into sugar, may be relied on for as 
fair returns as any other grown in the South. It has few natural ene- 
mies, and in this particular has the advantage of cotton, which is sub- 
ject to rot and the army worm. 

The cane crop is sometimes injured by storms of wind in August and 
September, and by freezes which occasionally visit us in November 
and December, inflicting injury on the standing cane. The ratoons 
left after the cane has been cut, on which the planter depends to some 
extent for the succeeding crop, are occasionally greatly injured by 
cold, wet winters and springs. An average of 1000 to 1200 pounds of 
sugar per arpent may be usually relied on, and under favorable cir- 
cumstances the average is better. To this must be added fifty gallons 
of molasses per 1000 pounds of sugar, and a still greater quantity when 
the cane is not well matured. 

The rice crop, with proper irrigation, will yield from fifteen to twenty 
barrels of rough rice per arpent. and one of the great advantages it 
possesses over other crops is the large area which one man can manage, 
and the certainty of the crop at a small outlay compared with cane. 
The impoverished condition of the country when the war ended in- 
duced many persons of straightened means to cultivate rice on their 
back lands, and induced others to enter on its cultivation on abandoned 
plantations who had capital. 

The yield of corn is from twenty to forty bushels per arpent, depend- 
ing mainly on the length of time the land has been cultivated and the 
manner of its treatment. Our climate is not so well adapted to the pro- 
duction of this crop as those States situated in a higher latitude, so that 
on sugar plantations it is not customary to attempt to raise any more 
corn than suffices for the use of the place. 

In an examination of the products of the parish it would be the 
height of injustice to pass by its capacity for the production of eggs 
and fowls. If I were to state the number of both annually forwarded 
to New Orleans it might cast a doubt on what has been detailed in re- 
gard to other matters. Many of the inhabitants actually clothe and 
feed their families from the proceeds derived from their fowl yards, 
and in the spring of the vear boxes of eggs constitute the principal 
down freights of our steam packets. 

Fruits and Vegetables.— Our soil is admirably adapted to the produc- 
tion of field peas, potatoes (both sweet and Irish), pumpkins, melons, 
and garden truck generally. Figs, plums, peaches and oranges are' 
grown successfully in the different localities adapted to their nature. 

Timber.— The uncleared lands are densely covered with the best of 
timber, among which is found the different varieties of oak, ash, cypress, 
gum, magnolia, maple and wild pecan. The most valuable among these 
is the cypress, which is very durable and extensively used for building 
purposes, fences, shingles, staves and fuel. The number of ornamental 
trees and evergreens for the beautifying of yards and parks is very 
large, among which the magnolia grande flora and the majestic live oak 
richly deserve the encomiums which have been so profusely bestowed 
by visitants of our State. 

In connection with the subject of timber it is not amiss to mention 
that there are large bodies of land in the interior of the parish densely 
covered with fine cypress, at this time a little inconvenient of access, 
but as the timber now near at hand is being rapidly consumed these 
swamps in the near future must necessarily become very valuable. The 
timber business offers a large field for industry and enterprise, for lower 



ASSUMPTION PARISH. 107 



Louisiana of necessity deals largely in building materials, pickets, bar- 
rel and hogshead staves and shingles. 

Climate, Etc. — A general prejudice prevails among strangers, and 
grave doubts have been spread abroad by enemies to our progress, as 
to the capacity of the white race to pursue agricultural labor during 
the heat of summer. Many years of continuous residence in this State 
have fully satisfied me on this point, and to my personal knowledge the 
small farmers have been accustomed to perform their daily round of 
labor as agriculturists without any detriment to their health. As a rule 
our creole population are early risers and get through a large portion 
of their work in the early part of the day, take a good rest at noon, 
and finish in the evening after the sun has lost some of its force. The 
health of our laboring white population will compare favorably with 
that of any other Southern State. 

Strangers who visit us often express surprise that a flat country, in 
which the cypress trees abound, and in which most of our forests tree8 
are draped with moss, should contain so many individuals who have 
reached the age of three-score and ten. 

If our days are warm, our nights are cool, and we are not subjected 
to the intense heat which during the summer often deprives the in- 
habitants of higher latitudes of refreshing slumber at night. Our 
proximity to the gulf coast exercises a delightful and grateful influence 
on the heat of summer, and after the warmest day we retire to rest 
and rise next morning thoroughly refreshed and prepared for the day's 
work. 

Price of Land.— Owing to the situation of our lands on the Lafourche, 
and the length of time the country has been settled (upwards of a cen- 
tury) the inducements which we offer to emigrants for cheap lands are 
not so great as those found in some of the highland parishes, which 

f)ossess larger areas of cultivable lands. These can be purchased at 
ower prices than ours command, but ours are more fertile and more 
convenient to market, two advantages which should have great weight 
with settlers in a new country. 

In the rear of the front owners small tracts of land can be purchased 
at reasonable prices, which possess a soil of equal fertility with the 
front tracts, and the additional advantage of having a fine range for 
stock of all kinds. These lands are admirably adapted to the wants of 
farmers on a small scale, and so great in their fertility that it requires 
but little work to secure all the necessaries of life, its comforts and 
many of its luxuries. The picture would not be complete were I to 
omit to mention the quantity of game to be found in the forests and 
the fish and fowl to be had on the bayous and lakes. 

Markets.— The facility for sending our produce to New Orleans (our 
principal market) is eqaul if not superior to that of any other country, 
and the wants of the community are supplied directly from that great 
mart of commerce or the various stores situated on the banks of the 
Lafourche and the interior portions of the parish. 

Steamers which carry the weight of a thousand hogsheads of sugar 
pass daily within hail of our dwellings, and at the same time offer 
pleasant accommodations for travelers who are not pressed for time. 
A short distance from the upper and lower boundaries of the parish 
are found two railroads (one at each end) which makes daily trips to 
New Orleans, and offer the necessary conveniences of travel for those 
to whom time is an object. 

Ihe Tenant System.— Our plantations are well laid off, well drained, 
have good buildings and the best of machinery for converting the 
cane into sugar. On many of these a great deal of arable land has 
been left uncultivated for the want of labor. These tracts are ad- 
mirably calculated for the inauguration of the tenant system, which, 
properly carried out, will soon enrich the employer and the employe. 



108 LOUISIANA. 



Some few planters have given this system a trial and find that it 
works well, provided they can secure the services of honest and indus- 
trious men, who are desirous of improving their condition ; with any 
other class it will not prove profitable to either party, and is certain to 
cause loss of time and material to the proprietor of the land. Of late 
this matter has been greatly simplified by a purchase of the cane de- 
livered at the sugar-house at a fixed price ; this plan is a good one, as 
it avoids many details and complications which almost invariable give 
rise to dissatisfaction between the parties to the contract. 

Population.— The population of the parish is about equally divided 
between the whites and blacks ; the large majority of the whites are 
descendants of the original French settlers, and probably constitute as 
contented and happy a race as can be found on the face of the earth. 
Peaceably inclined, polite and courteous, they make good and kind 
neighbors and law-abiding citizens. The colored people, who perform 
most of the field work, are docile and tractable, and gradually im- 
proving since their emancipation from their former condition of slavery. 



AVOYELLES PARISH. 

BY HON. H. SKIPWITH, IN NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 

This magnificent jewel in Louisiana's chaplet is bounded north by 
Bayou Saline and Lake Saline, east by the Atchafalaya, Black and Bed 
rivers, south by St. Landry and west by Bapides. It contains within 
its limits 534,000 acres, divided as follows, viz : 

Alluvial, acres 462,190 

Upland, acres - 49,062 

Prairie, acres 22,748 

Total 534,000 

Its population in 1870 was 12,926 ; its population as shown bv the cen- 
sus of 1880 is 19,500; increase in last decade 51 per cent. Its alluvial 
lands lay for the greater part along the banks of the intricate network 
of bayous and rivers— a very bewildering labyrinth to me— of the most 
thickly settled of which I shall attempt to give an imperfect catalogue. 
The Avoyelles side of the Atchafalaya is generally cultivated from the 
mouth of Bed river down to the St. Landry line. Now that those lands 
are made safe from overflow, ther are as highly esteemed as any in the 
Mississippi valley. At Simmsport, eighteen miles below the mouth of 
Bed river, twelve miles above the St. Landry line, the Bayou Des 
Glaizes, rising in Lake Paul, discharges into the Atchafalaya after 
having run a most circuitous course of sixty or seventy miles through 
the heart of the parish, generally in a southeastward direction. Flow- 
ing out of Des Glaizes are Bayou Bouge, Bayou Jack and Bayou Chou- 
pique, all of which tend southwestward, and all of which, except 
Bouge, penetrate within the territories of St. Landry. On its western 
border it has Bayou Boeuf, Bayou Huffpower and Bayou Clair. To 
magnify one of its alluvial sections at the expense of the others, when 
all are so nearly equal, would be an invidious task ; but there are some 
characteristics concerning the settlements of bayous Choupique, 
Jack and Claire which, when noted, might offer superior attractions 
for immigrants. 

Baijou Choupique is populated by a community of small farmers, 
frugal and industrious, who make a good living by the cultivation of 
cotton, of which staple the land in an average season is good for over 
a bale to the acre. Lands on Choupique are very cheap, and the settle- 
ment of Choupique is prospering and speedily developing. 

Bayou Jack.— The settlement of the lands along this bayou is more 
recent and less extensive than on the banks of Choupique, and for 



AVOYELLES PARISH. 109 



that reason there are cheaper lands and more eligible sites for farms 
along the banks of the Jack. 

Bayou Claire rises in Bayou Huff power, and after a course of twenty 
miles discharges into Bayou Bceuf. The land on both sides of this bayou 
formerly belonged to Mr. Thos. Frith, deceased. Since the war a col- 
ony of Mississippians, seeking- profitable employment, came to Bayou 
Claire and entered into contracts to cultivate the soil on the share sys- 
tem. By skill, industry and perseverance, after a year or two, they be- 
came enabled to purchase and pay for small lots varying from fifty to 
one hundred acres of this land, for which they paid prices r angingfrom 
$20 to $40 per acre ; and both banks of the bayou, for nea_ly its whole 
length, are owned and cultivated by those immigrants from Mississippi ; 
and they cultivate their lands so assiduously that they have become a 
subject of admiration to all who are so fortunate to pass along the 
garden farms of Bayou Claire, and, which weighs more substantially, 
they are a source of wealth and abundant revenue to the thrifty race of 
small farmers who till them. This growing community adds to its 
agricultural triumphs the lucrative pastoral pursuit of raising fine 
horses, and in that line they stand almost unrivaled in the South. 
What a pleasant picture does the achievement of the Bayou Claire 
present to the longing gaze of the poor people who have been toiling 
for a lifetime to glean a scanty living from the same five acres, and a^ 
the close do not own enough of the soil to be buried in. Where on 
earth can the cravings of man for property and room to live and die in 
be quicker satisfied than in Bayou Claire ? And this parish of Avoy- 
elles, all through its interminable network of bayous, lakes and rivers, 
abounds in thousands of acres not yet reduced to cultivation, just as 
fertile and productive naturally as all the lands on Bayou Claire. 

Contemplating the achievement of the hardy and industrious race 
who have conquered Bayou Claire territory witn the plow and the hoe 
suggests the reflection that peace has its victories as well as war, and 
this is of them. Unlike their bluff old ancesters, the Teutons and 
Cimbri, who poured down like a torrent through the German forests 
and the passes of the Hartz Mountains, whipped Cassar and his legions, 
and made the Emperor Augustus whine piteously in the streets of 
Rome: "Varus, oh, Varus! give me back my legions!" these thrifty 
Mississippians, grasping the plow-handle and the hoe, have reduced 
the fairest spot on earth to quiet and profitable ownership. While we 
cannot withhold tribute to the valor which acquired and held the best 
homes in Europe by the sword, I hope it is no detraction from the 
merit of the men of old to record my opinion that the modern method 
is the best. These later victories having been won by the sweat of the 
brow, and not by the shedding of blood, which in the olden time was 
the measure of each man's portion. The inequalities on which the 
feudal system was founded have no existence on Bayou Claire, for on 
Bayou Claire are no lordly barons holding neighborhoods in awe and 
frowning down from the battlements of a turreted castle upon his 
trembling retainers beneath. There each owns his small farm he con- 

Juered by the sweat of his brow, and each is the equal of the other, 
f honors befall a denizen of Bayou Claire, they will come because he 
makes his acre produce the most. He who makes the biggest crop on 
all equal number of acres is the biggest man on Bayou Claire. As it is 
on the Claire, so it is on all the bayous which percolate everywhere 
through the alluvial lands of Avoyelles— lands, too, which can now be 
bought at verv low figures and on very advantageous terms. Seeing 
that these farmers of Bayou Claire have paid $20, $25 and even as high 
as $40 per acre, I would not shame a European farmer by doubting his 
capacity to equal the achievements of the colony of Mississippians. 
If these Europeans must go West because their avant couriers have all 
gone West, why not listen to the promptings of common sense— stop 



UC LOUISIANA. 



two years in Avoyelles and then go West and buy up a Western town- 
ship? Next in order comes 

Prairte Lands.— Penetrating the parish from Simmsport to Moreau- 
vilLe, the entire route upon nearly the same level, a stranger who 
emerges from the swamp and sees for the first time the Marksville 
prairie towering fifty feet above him, presenting to his astonished vision 
the appearance of frowning battlements of some venerable fortress, at 
first view it seems as though an impassable barrier to his further pro- 
gress has been conjured up by some wonderful upheaval of nature ; 
but as he draws nearer and scans the marks of unquestionable an- 
tiquity and winds his devious way until he findfe a road almost as steep 
as theTarpeian rock, awe and wonderment give place to curiosity. 

This prairie -eight miles from east to west and eighteen miles from 
north to south— has upon it some venerable landmarks, and about 
18,000 acres of very fair land, which, under a system of rather negli- 
gent tillage, has been steadily increasing in productive capacity, it be- 
ing a common remark among the close observers in the parish that the 
prairie is now more fertile than when it was first settled, somewhere 
between 1768 and 1784, by a number of Acadian families who fled from 
the floods which were spread over Pointe Coupee. It was also the site 
of the ol4 post of Avoyelles, and it is still the home of the feeble rem- 
nant of the tribe of Tunicas, which was once strong enough to wage 
war with the Natchez and hold them in check. Along the eastern 
margin of this prairie the Rsd River once flowed, and upon its north- 
eastern margin, almost within the corporate limits of Marksville, are 
still to be seen the well-defined lineaments of an earthwork, crescent 
in form, too laboriously constructed and too skillfully laid off to war- 
rant the opinion that it was the work of any savage tribe. 

Bayou Rouge Prairie, just south of Choupique, a remarkable eleva- 
tion of plateau, Ave miles in length and three miles wide— another of 
these astounding revelations to the traveler, rising suddenly out of the 
swamp seventy-five feet. The soil of this prairie is fertile and almost 
as productive as the alluvi ms which environ it. The title to the soil 
is held by fifteen or twenty proprietors at most, and it is cultivated by 
colored labor employed by the proprietors. 

Bayous Bceuf and Hujfpower, both of which sections contribute 
a magnificent quota to the wealth and area of alluvial lands, 
fully equal in natural fertility to any other alluvian in Avoy- 
elles or anywhere else. These lands enjoy some market facilities 
which are not common to some of the other sections. The Huff- 
power, a connecting link between Bayou Bceuf and Bayou Rouge, 
rests the front and rear of its eight miles of territory upon a navigable 
stream, and when the railroad schemes now fast approaching comple- 
tion shall be perfected the produce of Huffpower will have phoice of 
four roads to market. These remarks apply with equal force to the 
Bayou Boeuf section, except that it is not so near the navigation afforded 
by Bayou Bouge. With the added remark that the price of lands is 
low on the prairie, and high on Boeuf and Huffpower, let us pass on to 
survev a portion of Avoyelles equally healthy, more picturesque in 
scenery, but not of such universal fertility as the portion over which 
we have traveled, which yet may turn out to be a country even more 
attractive to a poor man. North of Bed Biver lies 

Ward Number One of Avoyelles.- -It contains along the margin 
of the Red River many of the finest estates in the parish, of 
which the "Experiment place," with 600 acres solid cane, is 
claimed to be the best. These river fronts usually run back a 
mile to the base of the hills. The hills cover a superficial area 
of 49,000 acres, almost all of which is still in forest of white and red 
oak, poplar, ash, hickory and black walnut. The settlements are 
sparse and the clearings are small, the inhabitants making a good 



BIENVILLE PARISH. Ill 



living by working the oak trees into staves, which are very essential to 
the wine trade, and consequently bear a good price ; and by raising 
hogs, or rather by waiting tor the hogs to raise themselves. Staves and 
hogs keeping the supply of ready cash always flush, the products of 
the soil become a minor consideration, and the felling of the forests has 
been confined to clearing a corn and potato patch. Having the wine 
growers of the world as customers for their staves, and all Louisiana 
as a market for their hogs, these conditions imply contempt for the 
products of the soil as a corollary Lands which when fresh will pro- 
duce 800 pounds of seed cotton, 150 bushels of potatoes and 25 barrels 
of corn to the acre, may be had on the hills at prices ranging from 75 
cents to $1 50 per acre, and the number of acres embraced in the cheap 
list is, deducting the small clearings, 49.000. The industries of "Ward 
No. 1 on the hills are under the exclusive control of the white race, 
and a better ordered or more law-abiding community cannot be found! 
If there are no wealthy proprietors among them it is because agricul- 
ture on a large scale is not considered as profitable as the forest indus- 
tries which are free to all alike. 

Along the banks of the bayou and river we find develbpment has 
nearly reached its highest standard, but between the bayous lays 
many miles of forest, nearly every acre of which sustains a growth of 
cypress, ash, oak and hickory, sufficient to furnish the lumber for a 
first-class cottage, barns, stables, and all needed out-houses. If the 
banks of the bayous have been preferred over them it is only' because 
they are found to possess a thorough system of natural drainage and 
because the lands behind them are cumbered with a very heavy 
growth of forest trees and require a system of artificial drainage to 
make them as fully productive as the front tier. With the added labor 
of clearing away the forest and ditching, the re.ir lands are hist as pro- 
ductive as the front, and they are held universally at very 'low prices 
As long as the bulwarks which protect the front tier stand these rear- 
lands are in no peril of overflow. The drawbacks are so trivial that 
no industrious laborer would be deterred from facing them. When 
those trivial drawbacks are overcome by an industrious class of work- 
ers there will be nearly 150,000 acres added to the productive area of 
Avoyelles. 

Fruits, Nuts, Etc.— An old immigrant from Baden, Mr Frank of 
Marksville, presented me with two ripe and royal chestnuts at least 
double the size of the ordinary chestnut of commerce, from which the 
seed was planted. I keep them as the onlv sample of chestnuts I ever 
saw grown in a climate where the pecan is indigenous, and to demon- 
strate the adaptibility of the soil and climate to the culture of the peach 
apple and plum, all of which, it is a well known fact, grow to great per- 
fection in a climate which will produce chestnuts. I cannot dismiss the 
old Badjsner without adding that he is as successful at raising chestnuts 
as he invariably is at "Piquet. " He is one instance of a successful immi- 
grant to Avoyelles. Another is the career of old Mr. Coco from Italy 
who settled at the Post of the Avoyelles before the year 1800 and lie 
founded one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the 
parish. 



BIENVILLE PARISH. 

BY HON. JAMES BPJCE, SPARTA. 
This parish is situated in the northwest portion of the State and is 
about thirty-six miles square. It was created from the' southern por- 
tion of Claiborne parish in the year 1849. The present rate of taxation 
is twelve mills. It is about midway between the Bed and Ouachita 



112 LOUISIANA. 



Rivers, but has no large stream of water running through it. There is 
not a ferry or toil-bridge in the parish ; all the bottom land we have is 
on the small creeks. There is no prairie land. The northern portion 
of tnis parish has an abundance of timber or all kinds that grows in 
this climate— such as all the different kinds of oaks, pine, hickory, 
walnut; and in the southern portion of the parish there is considerable 
scope that has long-leaf pine, and abounds with beautiful clear, run- 
ning streams, sufficient to run most any kind of machinery. Lake 
Bisteneau is navigable about six months in the year, and forms the 
western boundary of this parish. 

The health of this parish is as good if not better than that of any 
parish in the State. Situated on the high, rolling lands dividing the 
Red and Ouachita rivers, we have the best spring water. Well water 
can be had, wherever it is wanted, of the best quality. There has 
never been a single case of sunstroke in the parish. 

There are about 11,000 inhabitants. The whites have a small ma- 
jority. 

There is a great deal of United States land, but very little State land 
in the parish. Private lands can be had in tracts of from 40 to 500 
acres, at from fifty cents to $'2 per acre. Improved land can be bought 
on almost any terms that a purchaser would ask, and can be rented 
for one-third of the corn and one-fourth cotton. 

The religious denominations are Methodist, Baptist and Presbyte- 
rian. There is no neighborhood without a church. "We have mostly 
private schools. 

The principal labor that is employed is colored, and it is anything 
but reliable. Industrious white men can procure good wages all the 
year. 

Hands can get from $10 to $15 per month, or one-half of what they 
make in the field. They feed themselves, and the landlord furnishes 
the rest. 

We have had some immigrants in the last two years, mostly from 
Georgia and Alabama. There have been no efforts made to induce im- 
migrats to come to this portion of the State. 

The most of the planters raise their own beef and bacon, and all 
could if they would. There is a portion of the parish (I speak of the 
piney portion) well adapted for sheep-raising. Sheep can be had for 
$1 per head and cows for $5 10 per head. 

Water Power.— There is no portion of this or any other State that 
that can excel this. There are streams in abundance that are flush all 
the year, with capacity to run any kind of machinery. 

Our nearest markets are Minden, on the west thirty miles (we have 
navigation but a short time there), and Trenton, on tfre Ouachita, on 
the east, which is fii'tv miles. The roads to both places are good. 

All the fruits do well here, but on account of not being able to mar- 
ket it, there has been very little benefit derived from this crop. A 
great many are putting out orchards. 

This is a good country for vegetables, and they could be grown with 
great profit. We have but few" wild fowls and not a great many fish. 
In the southern portion of the parish there are a good many deer. 

One good hand can cultivate ten acres in corn and ten in cotton, be- 
sides his truck patches. 

This is like all other countries, some men make any business 
profitable, while others fail at any and everything. 

On account of the distance from market, this parish has been kept 
in the background, but now we have a good prospect for the comple 
tion of the North Louisiana Road, which runs through this parish* by 
the 1st of May, and will bring out all its resources. We have already 
seen some of the effects. In the Jast few days many are investing 
their money in land. 



BOSSIER PARISH. 113 



The soil, as a general thing, on upland is gray sandy, but we have 
all the different varietes— the gray sandy, the mulatto, the red sandy 
and dark sandy— these are the uplands. The soil of our creek or bot- 
tom lands varies from dark sandy to a stiff soil. The minerals have 
never been tested. There are some fine leads of stone coal, which 
I think would pay well if there was transportation. 

Products best adapted are corn, cotton, rye, oats, barley, sweet and 
Irish potatoes, rice and sugar cane. 

PRODUCTION PER ACRE AND VALUE. 

Per acre. Price. 

Corn. 15 bushels. $1 00 per bushel. 

Cotton £bale. 10c. perpound. 

Rye 20 bushels. $1 00 per bushel. 

Oats 20 . 75c. 

Barley 25 .. $1 00 

Sweet potatoes 150 .. 50c. 

Sugarcane 200gallons. 50c. per gallon. 



BOSSIER PARISH. 

BY B. F. FORT, BELLEVUE. 

The soils may be classified as follows : 1. Sandy loam, fronts a quarter 
of a mile wide on each bank of river; half the tilled soil, but only one- 
fourteenth of the whole bottom. 2. Stiff, red back-lands; nearly half 
the tilled soil and about five-sevenths of whole bottom. 3. Stiff, red, 
lateral bayou lands— a fraction only of those tilled ; about one-four- 
teenth of whole ; one-fourteenth like bottom and bayou beds. 

The chief one is designated as "front lands;" proportion, one-half 
the cultivated, one fourteenth of wnole bottom ; occurs on the whole 
fronton the river, and a short distance down large outgoing bayous; 
growth: cottonwood, ash, hickory, sweet gum, red oak and mulberry. 
It is a light silt and fine sandy loam, reddish gray, several feet in 
depth. It tills easily in wet and in dry seasons, and is early, warm and 
well drained. 

Crops : cotton, chiefly, and some corn. The soil is best adapted to 
cotton. Two-thirds of the crops planted, perhaps more, are of cotton. 
Usual height of cotton on old cleared land, three feet ; for best produc- 
tion higher. Cotton runs to weed in wet seasons ; no remedy is used. 
Seed-cotton product on fresh land, 2000 pounds per acre ; for a 450- 
pound bale, 1350 pounds dry, after housing a few weeks ; 1460 pounds 
dry from field. Staple from fresh land rates good middling in market, 
when clean. After six years' cultivation (unmanured), 1700 pounds, 
and the same amount of seed cotton needed per bale; staple a little 
shorter, but seed somewhat lighter. Troublesome weeds: crab-grass, 
cocklebur, tie-vine, morning-glory and cow-pea. No land of this char- 
acter now lies turned out; old land taken into cultivation produces a3 
well as new. 

Soil No. 2.— Designated stiff lands or back lands form five-sevenths 
of the wnole bottom and nearly half the tilled soil ; much of it is not 
reclaimed from overflow; it extends from Washington, St. Landry 
parish, to Little River, Arkansas. Timber growth— Red oak, cotton- 
wood, ash, hackberry, cypress, pecan and sweet gum. It is a heavy 
clay loam. Color— Brown, mahogany, blackish and dark brownish 
red. Much has no different subsoil within reasonable depth, but a con- 
siderable portion has the river deposit a foot below the surface. This 
subsoil is lighter than the surface soil, being a fine, black, sandy loam. 
The soil tills easily in wet weather and after breaking up in the spring, 
15 



114 LOUISIANA. 



and can be plowed after heavy rains. Soil best adapted to cotton ; pro- 
portion of cotton planted, two-thirds of crops. This is our best soil, 
and I believe it is the best cotton land in the world. I have it from 
four different witnesses, viz: K. W. Dougherty, E. T. Glinson, F. J. 
Smith and Jas. B. Pickett, that each have known 1000 pounds of cotton 
lint to be raised on it to the acre without manure. It is now being 
gradually reclaimed from overflow, and can all be reclaimed within a 
small fraction at no great expense per acre. It requires two mules for 
breaking up in the spring, but for after cultivation one mule suffices. 
This is the land for steam cultivation in the future. The most produc- 
tive and usual height of cotton is five feet. The plant does not incline 
to run to weed, except on new land ; no remedy to restrain it and favor 
boiling is used. Seed cotton product and quality of staple the same as 
from the front lands. 

The seed cotton product, after six years' cultivation, is 2000 pounds 
per acre (the land is never known to tire) ; same amount as above 
needed for a bale , staple same as that from fresh land. The trouble- 
some weeds are cocklebur, tie-vine, morning-glory and cow pea. No 
land lies turned out. 

Soil No. 3,— Designated as bayou lands. These differ but little from 
No. 2, being a littie stiffer and closer to the subsoil, which is often poor. 
Proportion of this land is small, say one-twentieth of bottom ; tilled 
soil, perhaps one-fourteenth of the entire cultivated lands. I only 
know it to occur bordering Ked Chute Bayou, townships 16 to 18 in- 
clusive. Growth * red and overcup oaks, bastard pecan, ash, sweet 
gum, locust. The soil is a heavy clay loam, brownish, mahogany, 
blackish aao iark reddish brown. Thickness of surface soil, six to 
eight inches , subsoil heavier or occasionally lighter than surface soil; 
underlaid sometimes by white sandstone and sometimes by blue clay, 
and generally by poor subsoil , rather impervious to water ; tills easily 
in dry and wet seasons after breaking in spring, but is hard to break ; 
it takes two mules. The soil is best adapted to cotton, of which two- 
thirds of all crops is planted. The height usually attained by cotton 
is three feet ; at four feet it is most productive ; does not incline to run 
to weed. Seed cotton, per acre, on fresh land, 1700 pounds. Seed cot- 
ton for a 450-pound bale, 1350 pounds, dry from cotton-house ; 1450 
pounds, when dry from field ; staple rates as middling in market, when 
clean. Seed cotton product, per acre, after six years' cultivation, the 
same as before in quantity and quality. Troublesome weeds are cockle- 
bur and tie-vine. One-fourth or one-fifth of this land lies turned out, but 
is being recultivated ; produces as at first, when again taken into culti- 
vation. 

Soils of the "Point Country."— 'So. 1, gray oak and hickory land ; No. 
2, reddish oak land ; No. 3, black-jack ridges. No. 1, designated Point 
lands, are peculiar to the Point ; proportion, three-fourths of cultivated 
land, and occurs throughout the point country. Timber : post, black 
and red oaks, hickory, short-leaf pine (scattering) and black-jack- It 
is a fine silt or fine, sandy loam ; blackish, four inches deep ; subsoil, a 
yellowish, sandy loam, not fertile, underlaid by sandy clay at 1| feet; 
tills easily in wet and dry seasons, when broken up in the spring. 

Crops.— Cotton, mainly; corn, sweet potatoes, and cow-peas; best 
adapted to cotton, which constitutes two-thirds of all the crops 
planted. 

Height.— Three feet, and, generally speaking, the higher the plant 
the more productive it is. 

Seed-cotton on. fresh land : 1000 pounds ; amount for a 450-pound bale 
the same as for the bottom ; rates as middling in market. 

Seed-cotton produced after six years' cultivation (unmanured) : 700 
pounds ; staple shorter than on fresh land, but the seed is lighter. 



BOSSIER PARISH. US 



Troublesome Weeds.— Crab-grass, hog- weed, and occasionally cockle- 
bur. 

Land turned out, one-third, does not improve when again taken into 
cultivation, as cows pasture on it and tramp it too close; it is slow bo 
grow up in trees. 

Soil No. 2 has no common designatian ; proportion, perhaps one- 
fourth, and occurs scattered over the Point. Growth ; black and post 
oaks, black jack, and an occasional short-leaf pine. It is a heavy clay- 
loam, light brown to two inch depth; subsoil same as surface but in- 
fertile ; underlaid by sandy clay ; tills easily, when broken up in the 
spring ; proportion of cotton planted, two-thirds ; height, 2£ feet ; more 
productive when higher. 

Seed-cotton product per acre on fresh land. 700 pounds ; after six 
years' cultivation (unmanured), 400 pounds; staple shorter than on 
fresh land. No troublesome weeds. 

Land turned out, one-half; serious damage done by washing. No 
damage done to valleys from washing of uplands. 

Soil No. 3, designated as "black-jack ridges:" proportion, one-fifth 
or one-sixth ; none cultivated, because sterile ; occurs only in the Point. 
Growth, black-jack. It is a light, fine, sandy loam ; whitish gray ; one 
inch deep. Subsoil sandy, leachy ; underlaid by sand to some depth. 

Middle and Northern Bossier, on the Borders of Bodceau and Cypress 
Bayous.— Here there are three chief varieties of soil, viz: (1) gray, 
sandy, loam of the level or undulating short-leaf pine country; (2) 
rocky red hills and branch bottoms adjacent; (3) flats. The chief 'one 
is gray lands or pine land; it occupies two-thirds of the region, ex- 
tending from township 17 to Arkansas line and east and west through 
the parish. The timber, short-leaf pine, black and red oaks, hickory, 
dogwood and black gum. The soil is a fine, sandy, loam, gray, black- 
ish, and sometimes brownish, showing iron in soil; thickness, six 
inches when fresh. The subsoil is a yellowish, sandy loam, lighter 
than surface, and rather close, not fertile ; underlaid by sandy clay at 
1£ feet. It tills easily in wet and dry seasons. 

Oops.— Cotton, chiefly; corn, oats, sweet potatoes, sorghum, and 
cow-peas. The soil is best adapted to cotton because of the climate ; 
proportion of cotton planted, two-thirds ; heignt attained by cotton, 3 
feet, and the higher the better, unless in very wet seasons. 

Seed cotton product on fresh land, 800 pounds ; staple, middling when 
clean; after six years' cultivation the product is 600 pounds; staple 
somewhat shorter and seeds lighter; the weeds are crab-grass and hog- 
weed. About one-third of such land once cultivated lies out; this is 
not thought to benefit the land until after several years' growth of 
small pines. The land washes readily on slopes, but being so nearly 
level no damage is done to them. 

Soit No. £.— Designated "red lands;" proportion one-sixth, and 
occurs from Arkansas line south to township 17 in strips. Timber: 
black and red oaks, black jack, scattering short-leaf pines and hickory.' 
It is a heavy clay loam, or clay with ironstone and broken gravel; 
color: brownish, mahogany, blackish and chocolate. Thickness of 
surface soil, three inches. Subsoil same, but somewhat stiffer ; some is 
hard-pan and nearly impervious to water; contains soft, broken iron- 
stone gravel, underlaid by clay at one-half foot. It tills easily in wet 
and dry seasons, after breaking up in the spring and when well drained. 
The soil is best adapted to cotton, and next, to oats. Proportion of 
cotton to other crops planted, two-thirds ; the highest is most produc- 
tive ; dofts not incline to run to weed under any circumstances. 

Seed cotton product per acre, when land is fresh, 800 pounds. Some 
small area of this red land is the finest upland in the parish, and has 
quite a. fame. To see such splendid crops on pure red clay is astonish- 
ing. What is in the soil to produce that effect is not known. I think 



116 LOUISIANA. 



these lands would succeed well in wine grapes. A great deal of this 
red ironstone land, however, produces the same as gray lands. 
Drought fiurts it worse, perhaps, than it does the gray, but wet sea- 
sons hurt less. Much iron ore overlies parts of it, but an expert stated 
some time ago that this ore would be hard to smelt. Seed cotton 
needed for a bale same as that from the other soils. Staple rates as 
middling in market, when clean and from fresh land. Product, after 
six years' cultivation, 600 pounds per acre, and same amount needed 
for a bale as on fresh land, but staple is shorter. Weeds are not 
troublesome; crab-grass grows a little. Land turned out about one- 
third. When this land is again taken into cultivation it is worse than 
when turned out. It will not grow up in trees quickly. Soil does not 
wash on slopes. 

Soil No. 3.— Flats, proportion one-third; none cultivated but re- 
claimable. This soil occurs from township 17 north, to Arkansas. 
Growth : post and water-oaks and short-leaf pine ; sometimes small 
haw and sweet gum. It is a heavy, fine silt, or fine, sandy loam, craw- 
fishy and whitish gray. Thickness of surface soil one inch , character of 
subsoil about same as surface. Some is hard-pan, impervious to water, 
and underlaid by sandy clay at two or three feet. Tillage very difficult 
in wet and dry seasons or when ill-drained. A ditch will not draw, and 
only surface drainage can be adopted. Soil best adapted to cotton, 
which can by great labor be produced. 



CADDO PARISH. 

BY JUDGE THOS. T. LAND, SHREVEPORT. 

The parish of Caddo lies in the 32d degree of north latitude, and 
In the 16th degree of longitude west from Washington. It is situated 
in the extreme north-western portion of the State, and west of the 
Eed Kiver. It is bounded on the west by Texas, on the north by Ar- 
kansas, on the east by Ked Eiver, and on the south by the parishes of 
De Soto and Eed Eiver. 

The parish was organized in the year 1836, and the seat of justice 
was established at Shreveport., on Eed Eiver, where it still remains. 

The present rate of taxation is six mills on the dollar for State and 
10 mills on the dollar for all parish purposes. 

The parish has on Eed Eiver, a length, with the meanders of the 
stream, of some one hundred and sixty miles, and on the Texas line a 
length of some fifty odd miles. The width of the parish varies from 
sixteen to thirty-six miles, owing to the distance of the Texas State 
line from different points of the river. 

In the parish there are several large lakes, known as Wallace's 
Lake, in the southern part, Cross Lake, Soda Lake, Clear Lake, and 
Caddo Lake in the northern part; the last of which extends into 
the State of Texas, and a short distance above its head, on Cypress 
Cypress Bayou, is situated the town of Jefferson. 

These lakes are all of recent formation, as shown by the large dead 
trees still statnding in large numbers in them. The beds of these lakes 
were at one time bayoix bottom lands, above overflow, and covered with 
a heavy forest of timber, the remains of which are everywhere still 
visible. 

These lakes are the effects or fruits of the formation of the great raft 
in Eed river. 

There is in Caddo parish little or no prairie land. The bottom lands 
are principally in the Eed river valley, a large proportion of which are 
uncultivated and covered with magnificent forests. 

There are only a few bayous of any length or size in the parish ; the 



CADDO PARISH. 117 



principal are Kelley's Bayou and Black Bayou, in the northern 
portion ; Cypress and Boggy Bayous, in the western, that is, in the up- 
lands of the parish. In the Red river valley the bayous are more nu- 
merous, running westward into the great lakes that we have mentioned, 
above the city of Shreveport. 

The first, just below the Arkansas State line, is called the Sale and 
Murphy Canal; the second, O'Rouke Slough; the third, the Koun's 
Canal ; the fourth, the Hervy Canal ; the fifth, Elenor Bayou ; the sixth, 
Red Bayou; the seventh, Dooley's Bayou; the eighth, Cowhide Bayou. 
Cross Bayou runs into Red river from Cross Lake, above the city of 
Shreveport. The Bayou Pierre is below the city about two miles, and 
runs into Wallace's Lake. Tone's Bayou, which is a deep and rapid 
stream, and has threatened a diversion of the river from its present 
channel and a destruction of navigation, runs out of Red river some 
fifteen miles below Shreveport. There are various small bayous run- 
ning out of Red river, in the parish of Caddo, which it is unnecessary 
to mention. 

The p*-' npal kinds of timber in the parish are red oak, post oak, 
hickory, pine, black-jack, with some gum and dogwood on the uplands. 
On the bottom lands the principal kinds of timber are cottonwood, ash, 
hackberry, cypress, gum, black oak and willow. 

The lands in the parish are classified into hfji: or uplands and valley 
or bottom lands. The hill lands are generally level, and when fresh 
are quite productive without the aid of fertilizers ; when old and worn, 
their productiveness is restored by the use of jotton seed as a fertilizer. 

The valley lands are of great fertility and productiveness, not sur- 
passed by any in the State or United States. There are no minerals in 
the parish of any special value. 

The products best adapted to cultivation in the parish are corn, cot- 
ton, oats, rye, barley and millet. The average yield of corn per acre 
on the rich valley lands is fifty bushels, of cotton, one bale per acre, 
weighing 500 pounds; oats, rye and barley, twenty-five bushels; of 
millet, two tons per acre. The prices realized in home markets past 
season were for corn seventy-five cents per bushel ; for cotton, fifty dol- 
lars per bale; oats and other grain, sixty cents per bushel; millet seed, 
two dollars per bushel. 

The health!' ulness of the parish is not surpassed by any in the State. 

The kinds of drinking water used are, in the uplands, spring and 
well water, and on the bottom lands, cistern water. 

The average temperature, summer and wintor, is as follows ; June, 
76°; July, 83°; August, 78°; December, 47°; January. 55°; February,' 
53°. Sunstroke is hardly known in the parish. 

Population of the i arish at this time is 26,300; an increase of 4500 in 
ten years. Almost every nationality in Europe is represented, with a 
greater proportion of Germans. The negroes enumerated in the cen- 
sus of the present year amount to 15,000; the white race, 11,300 souls. 
The people of the parish are generally moral, industrious and pros- 
perous. 

All kinds of lands are offered for sale in the parish, improved and 
unimproved, or wild lands. Private lands in any sized tracts can be 
purchased on the uplands at from $1 to $5 per acre ; on the bottom lands, 
at from $5 to $10 per acre. Improved uplands can be bought at prices 
from $1 50 to $5 per acre ; improved bottom lands at prices from $15 to 
$25 per acre. Uplands can be leased at from $1 to $2 per acre ; bottom 
lands at from $5 to $10 per acre. 

There are United States Government lands for sale in the parish to 
the amount of 61,940 acres ; State lands to the amount of 29,040 acres; 
railroad lands to the amount of 15,780 acres : school lands to the 
amount of 6000 acres. The State lands are now offered for sale at 
seventy-five cents per acre. 



118 LOUISIANA. 



The religious denominations in the parish are Methodists, Baptists, 
Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Catholic and Hebrew, 

There are twenty-five public schools in the parish and quite a num- 
ber of private schools. 

Negro labor is generally employed on the plantations, in private 
families and in hotels, and it is improving in reliability. Chinese labor 
is not in demand; the people of the parish have no knowledge of it. 
Industrious white men can rind employment at remunerative wages or 
for a share in the crops. They can work all the year in the field with per- 
fect safety. The share given in the crops in the place of wages is usu- 
allv one-half, the laborer feeding and clothing himself. The land, 
team, feed and farming implements and houses for the laborer are fur- 
nished by the land owner. 

No efforts are being made to secure immigration to the- parish. The 
number of immigrants has not been noted. 

The parish is well adapted to stock raising for plantation and for 
family use. The summer range on the uplands is always good ; on the 
bottom lands it is excellent, both summer and winter. The uninclosed 
lands afford an extensive range for cattle the year round. Stock rais- 
ing in the parish is carried on generally only for home consumption. 
A good cow and calf are worth $25, and good beef cattle from $20 to $25 
per head. 

The water power in the parish for manufacturing is of little or no 
value, and as yet but little has been accomplished in that direction. 

The nearest and best market for the people of the parish is at the 
city of Shreveport, situated on Eed Eiver, at the head of navigation, in 
the territorial and commercial centre of a large, fertile and productive 
region of country, embracing the rich Eed Eiver valley for hundreds of 
miles, Northwestern Louisiana, Southwestern Arkansas, the Indian 
Territory, Western, Eastern and Middle Texas, extending to El Paso 
on the Eio Grande. Shreveport is the present eastern terminus of the 
Texas and Pacific Eailroad, and will soon be connected directly by rail 
with New Orleans by the New Orleans and Pacific Eailway, and with 
the Mississippi Eiver by the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas Eailway, 
which will have the effect of greatly increasing her trade, commerce, 
population, and wealth. The distance by rail to the Mississippi river, 
opposite Vicksburg, will be only 169 miles, while the distance by the 
New Orleans and Pacific Eailway to the Mississippi Eiver opposite New 
Orleans will be 355 miles, and the distance by the way of Houston to 
the Mississippi Eiver will be over 600 miles. 

The short line of railway from Shreveport to the Mississippi Eiver at 
Yicksburg will give to her great, and decided advantages over all other 
markets west of the Eed Eiver in the region of country which we have 
mentioned. Short lines of railroad and low freights will make the city 
of Shreveport the best cotton market in the State, second only to the 
city of New Orleans. 

There are various kinds of fruits cultivated in the parish, such as 
peaches, pears, apples, apricots, plums, grapes, strawberries, etc. The 
business of fruit culture has not as yet been engaged in to any extent. 
"When the railroads are completed the business, it is thought, will be 
profitable. 

All kinds of vegetables are grown in the parish, and when the 
railroads are completed their production can be made profitable. 

Silk culture is unknown in the parish. Honey making is a business, 
and is quite profitable. The dairy business is also profitable. Poultry 
raising has not been carried to any extent. Saw mills are profitable. 
Tanning, cotton and wool factories, shoe, harness and saddle factories 
wagon and carriage factories could all be engaged in with a fair pros- 
pect of success. 

It is thought the labor of negro women, boys and girls, which is 



CALCASIEU P ARISE. 119 



u ir , f knf hPTP would be very efficient in factories, especially in cotton 
abundant liercwouiauo voi y plantation labor and to employ- 

g^iKLSSfS^SdJSB aW, geese, We , hav< , u .our .orestsdeer, 
IXr™ w nv^'levln hundred [dollars per annum in gross rece.pts ; 

ofSouraMabof hatto oelmpSyecl to save tnese extraordinary crops. 

CALCASIEU PARISH. 

This parish is bounded on the east by St. Landry, west by Texas, 
north bv Vernon and south by Cameron. The Sabine Biver forms its 
welternboundary and Mermentau and Nez Pique the eastern The 
nrairie region lies past of the Calcasieu Eiver ana the pine woods to 
the wist "The parish is well watered by beautiful rivers and creeks of 

Cl M^hp W ™^nlation is 12 381, nine-tenths white, and is rapidly increasing, 
AL e ll°il L .w ?^, Ki.Tin'thP last ten vears. The leading industries 



having nearty doubled in the last ten years. The leading mdustnea 
are stock-raisini and lumbering. The climate has been called "per- 
Selual sm ng '' It is delightful, and vegetables may be grown at any 
time of the year. The heat of summer is tempered by the sea breeze 
mm the south which prevails during the summer. 

The prairie X npartly level and partly rolling, is all productive and 
improves wth cultivation. The level prairie is even richer than the 
roll™ The lowest flat lands afford a natural meadow of rich wild 
brasses and feed thousands of cattle, which run at large and are raised 
withont attention or care, except marking and branding the young. 

The land in thS Sine woods section is thin, except that bordering the 
creeks which is a rich sandy loam. The settlers of the pine woods 

"¥$2%^^*$!^ is hilly, and heretofore has been 
valued prnTcipally for its exhaustless forests of pine, but recent ex- 
periment have shown them easy of cultivation and capable of infinite 
mnrovement with fertilizing and intelligent cultivation. 

ffXr-Large quantities of pine and cypress lumber are exported 
fromthe Sabine, Calcasieu and Mermetan Rivers to Texas ports Be- 
SdS cypress and oak, the bottoms are heavily timbered with gum 
hickory maple, mulberry, sassafras, magnolia, pecan, black walnut 
beech sySTmore, hackberry, linn, dogwood persimmon, iron wood 
2S numerous small growth. Fences of the parish are generally 



120 LOUISIANA. 



of wood. Of late some hedges and wire fences are appearing. The 
parish has over fire hundred miles of water way navigable all the 
year, and a much greater extent during the winter. Lake Charles is a 
Dasin of the Calcasieu Eiver. 

The channel of the river runs along the west shore, but steamboats 
navigate the lake in all directions. The shores of the lake rise in bold 
bluff banks, and are covered with sea shells. The lands bordering the 
lake and rivers are very fertile and are admirably adapted to the 
growth of fruit trees. The water of the streams is soft, and good for 
all purposes, but cistern water is generally used for drinking, except 
in the northern part of the parish, where good water is found in wells 
at a depth of twenty feet, and many fine natural springs abound. The 
field products are cotton, sugar, rice, corn, potatoes, oats, rye, barley 
and tocacco for home consumption. The parish has soil suitable for 
the growth of all field and garden products, as well as fruits and flow- 
ers. There are three rice mills in the parish, which are sufficient to 
mill the crop now made, but more mills will be required in future, as 
the profits of rice culture are inducing a more extensive cultivation. 
Unlike the prairie region of the Northwest, the rainfall here can be de- 
pended upon. It is always sufficient for vegetation. 

There are one hundred townships in the parish, in all of which are 
some United States lands. There are nearly a million of acres of pub- 
lic lands in this parish subject to entry, under the homestead act, at 
the United States Land Office in New Orleans, or to be bought at $1 25 
per acre. Much of the State land is also valuable, and can be home- 
steaded at 12| cents per acre. Lands unimproved, lying on Lake 
Charles or Calcasieu River, are sold from $20 to $25 per acre, while 
equally as good lands, one mile back, can be bought for from $1 to $5 
per acre. 

To the immigrant this parish presents rare attractions— climate, soil 
and good health. Products are more and more varied than in in any 
part of the United States. Fruits of the tropics and temperate zone. 
Facilities for travel and market both by water and rail. The land, 
timber, sulphur and petroleum in the parish offer inducements to cap- 
italists to invest their money. 

The religious denominations which prevail in the parish are Roman 
Catholic, and Baptist and Methodist. 

This is emphatically a white man's country, and white immigrants 
are very much wanted to make homes and farms for themselves, and 
to make citizens of the State. 

Wages.— The prices paid for logs by the saw mills are at the rate of 
from $5 50 to $G per thousand feet. Choppers receive 20 cents per log, 
and earn from $2 50 to $3 50 per day. Raftsmen are paid $2 per day, 
teamsters $1 50, saw mill hands from $1 to Si 25, carpenters from $2 50 
to $5, agricultural laborers $20 per month, with board and lodging. 
The latter are scarce. Farmers do their own work, and only have help 
in planting and harvesting the crop. Land is so plentiful that it is 
hardly ever rented. 

Sheep raising is profitable and increasing in importance with the in- 
troduction of fine bucks. 

The parish seat is Lake Charles, which has a population of 810, and 
is a lumber manufacturing towm. It is a healthy village of six churches, 
five schools and a number of hotels and stores and two live newspapers. 
Within three miles are eleven saw mills and five planing, one grist 
and one rice mill. Streets are graded and paved drained ; the corpora- 
tion out of debt with a surplus on hand. 

Game and Fish abound in the woods and streams— bear, deer, tur- 
keys, ducks and geese, prairie chickens, woodcock, plover and snipe 
and all other water fowl. 

Fine fish, oysters, crabs and shrimp are afforded by the bays, bayou «> 



CALDWELL PARISH. 121 



and rivers Here are all essentials to make life pleasant to the immi- 
grant, whose work only is needed to make him independent and 
happy. 

CALDWELL PARISH. 

BY PROF. B. W. HILGARD. 

Popidation-5167 ; white 2870, colored 2897. 

Area-535 square miles. Woodland, all Long-leaf pine hills 170 
sauare miles alluvial lands (Washita and Bceuf) 170 square miles; 
central prairie regie a, 145 square miles ; oak uplands, 50 square miles. 

Tilled Land— 18 267 acres. Area planted in cotton, 9919 acres ; in corn, 
5717 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 182 acres ; in sugar cane, 39 acres. 

Cotton Production-650i bales; average cotton product per acre, 0.66 
bale, 933 pounds seed cotton, or 311 pounds cotton lint. 

Most of Western Caldwell is a rough, broken, pine country, cut up by 
the several branches of Bayou Castor. Ou the dividing ridge between 
BaVouS^tor and Washita River, however, a different feature pre- 
vaT as far north as several miles beyond Mount Pleasant. The 
Suntr?te also broken and ridgy, especially near the Washita running 
fn the main parallel to that river, on which they occasionally form 
precipitous bluffs. These ridges have a dark-colored loamy soil, 
KvhX evidence of the presence of lime by the absence of the long-leaf 
Sne and the prevalence of the better class o? upland oaks, hickory 
wUdplum and red haw or thorn. The best of this kind of country is 
in the neighborhood of Grandview, so called from the fine prospect 
over the Mississippi alluvial plain that is there. presented Between 
Grandview and Columbia there is a prairie (prairie Du Cote) abouta 
mile in diameter, almost round, and with a yellow loam soil. The soil 
is verv fertile, and is treeless except a few hawthorn bushes. East of 
thlwashite River is mainly the alluvial bottom, subject to overflow 
except along narrow ridge of upland that runs down between Washita 
and Bceuf Rivers, reaching nearly to their junction. 

ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT OP W. B. GRAYSON, COLUMBIA. 

The uplands are rolling, sometimes level table-lands, and vary 
OTeatlvmaSlf The soil principally cultivated in cotton is the black 
Sndv sofl with clav foundation, of the Ouachita bottom Its timber 
SSwth^s sweet sum, lowland oaks, elm, poplar (tulip tree), beech, 
Ivotpss etc It varies from a fine sandy to a gravelly loam ot gray, 
mahoeanv or blackish tint; depth, 2 feet or more; underlaid by sand. 
S tills eiilv in dry, and with some difficulty in wet seasons and is 
tnen lateen getting into condition for planting. Cotton, corn, potatoes, 
pea? and oa^s are the chief crops of the region: cotton, mainly in. the 
PowlandY and forms one-half of the crops. It grows from six to eight 
feet in height In warm, wet weather it may run to weed ; this can be 
checked b? plowing close to the stocks. The bottom soil yields about 
?M0 pounds of ^cotton-seed per acre, oi which 1460 pounds are required 
fora^u pound bale; rates from low to good ^lmg in market On 
iN/winnrU the staple is not so long as on fresh land, lie-vine ana 
^lehnvltetLmSt^oyxbleaome ^ eeds - Cannot tell what amount 
o? land lies turned out. After resting awhile the river land produces 
weli ; SnipmSte «e made by (Ouachita) boat to New Orleans, -at $1 per 
bale. 
X6 



122 LOUISIANA 



CAMERON PARISH. 

NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 

The parish of Cameron is situated in the extreme southwestern cor- 
ner of the State, being bounded on the west by Sabine Lake and river, 
on the north by the parish of Calcasieu, on the east by the parish of 
Vermilion and on the south by the Gulf of Mexico. It embraces about 
2000 square miles of territory, fully one-half of which is marsh or 
swamp lands, subject to overflows at certain periods of the year. The 
parish was organized in 1870, being taken from Calcasieu parish, and 
has, at the present time, a total population of about 2500, one-seventh 
of which is colored. The financial condition of the parish is reported 
to be good. The assessment for the last year aggregated $350,000, 
upon which there was levied a State tax of six mills and a parish tax of 
ten mills— a sum quite ample, when collected, to meet the obligations 
and requirements of the parish. As already stated, the lands of this 
section, like most of those adjacent to the gulf, are low, the usual 
height above the sea level being from four to ten feet. 

Climate aud Health.— The climate of this parish is remarkably mild 
and salubrious. In consequence of the general prevalence of refresh- 
ing breezes from the Gulf the atmosphere is rendered pure and health- 
ful. In fact, it may be remarked that there are no prevalent 
diseases in Cameron parish, except occasional cases of pneumonia and 
fevers, occasioned by exposure in the swamps. In proportion to popu- 
lation the parish can, perhaps, point to as many old men and women 
among its inhabitants as any portion of the State, the average length 
of life being estimated at seventy years. 

Quality of the Soil. — The soil of Cameron is a rich, sandy loam, 
formed principally by the decomposition of vegetable matter. In 
some portions, however, will be found what are known as black lands, 
all of which are remarkably rich and productive. Much of the soil of 
the parish being liable to overflow is not at present available for culti- 
vation, there being only about one acre in fifty that will not require 
more or less drainage, except for rice and other similar crops. With 
suitable drainage there is scarcely afoot of soil within the limits of 
Cameron that could not be made to yield abundantly. At present not 
over one-fourth of the lands capable of cultivation without reclamation 
are being utilized. 

Timber.— The timber of this section is confined to the islands, and is 
scattered over all portions of the parish. It consists of cypress, live 
oak, white oak, post oak, wild peach, pin oak, elm, hackberry, mag- 
nolia, china and a variety of smaller trees and shrubs. The supply is 
principally used for fuel and fencing, although lumbering is carried 
on to some extent. There is at present one saw mill in operation in 
the parish, but others are likely to be established as the country is de- 
veloped by an increased population and the local demand for lumber 
becomes more important. At present the local demand is supplied 
from the great lumber manufacturing districts of Calcasiau parish, 
the outward shipments of which pass through the port of Leesburg to 
the Gulf. 

Water.— Cameron parish has a very extensive water surface within 
its boundaries, induing several important navigable streams and lakes. 
Among these are the the Mermentau and Calcasieu rivers, Johnson's 
and Black Bayous, Calcaseau, White and Mermentau Lakes, and nu- 
merous smaller bayous and lakes scattered throughout the parish, 
nearly all of which are navigable for small crafts, while the Calcaseau 
Biver can be navigated about 100 'miles and the Mermentau about 80 
miles into the interior of the State. Cistern and well water are used 



CAMERON PARISH. 18$ 



for domestic purposes, the latter being required for stock immediately 
along the Gulf coast where the surface supply is not suitable. 

Field Crops and Their Yield.— The crops principally grown in the par- 
ish at this time are sugar cane, cotton, corn, potatoes, pindars and 
other field products common to the coast country. The average yield 
per acre under ordinary cultivation is about three-fourths of a bale of 
cotton, twenty bushels of corn, one hundred and fifty bushels of sweet 
potatoes and from one and a half to two hogsheads of sugar. In many 
mstances over five hundred pounds of lint cotton is produced to the 
acre, and from forty to fifty bushels of corn, but these are unusual pro- 
ductions. In the same way it is claimed that over three hogsheads of 
sugar have been realized from a single acre, but the figures above given 
may be taken as a fair estimate of the yield under ordinary cultivation. 
Other field crops, such as onions, beans, peas, tobacco, pumpkins, 
melons, turnips, cabbage, etc., have been successfully cultivated for 
home consumption, and might be profitably grown for market. 
Eice is also cultivated on a small scale in some portions of the parish, 
and will, doubtless, soon become a staple crop, as the soil is admirably 
adapted for its successful production. 

Prices of Lands. — It is estimated that there are about 100 square 
miles of land in the parish belonging to the United States government, 
a portion of which is still subject to entry under the homestead acts or 
may be purchased at the fixed government price. There are also a 
large amount of State lands still vacant, some of which might be cul- 
tivated without reclamation, but the greater part being swamp or coast 
marsh, will require expensive improvements to render it available for 
agricultural purposes. Unimproved lands, suitable for cultivation, 
can be purchased from private owners at from $5 to $10 per acr«, and 
in some cases for much less. The price of improved lands will very 
naturally depend upon the extent and importance of the improve- 
ments. Lands may br purchased from private owners in tracts to 
suit— from 10 to 160 acres. 

Churches and Schools.— There are three churches in the parish— one 
Catholic, one Methodist and one Baptist. Other Protestant denomina- 
tions are also represented, but have no regular organization, and are 
not provided with separate places of public worship. The schools of 
the parish consist of five public and two private organizations, which 
are fairly attended. 

Labor and fV< ages.— White labor is principally employed in the par- 
ish, and is as a general thing preferred to colored, although during the 
planting and harvesting seasons of the year there is a demand for 
hands of all kinds. Eeliable and industrious men may rely upon get- 
ting employment almost any season of the year in some department 
of industry, especially such as are familiar with agricultural pursuits 
or have a knowledge of the stock business. There is at present very 
little if any demand for mechanics. A few carpenters and blacks- 
miths, who are able to make themselves useful in other departments 
when necessary, might find an opening. Field hands usually receive 
seventy-five cents per day or $14 per month. Where farms are rented 
for money the price per acre is about $5, and when rented on the share 
system the tenant is expected to give one-fourth of the crop if he fur- 
nishes his own team, etc., and one-half if the team is furnished by 
the land owner. 

Stock Raising— Cameron is admirably adapted for stock raising:, and 
the business is largely engaged in, finding a ready and remunerative 
market in New Orleans and in the interior parishes of the State. With 
the completion of the New Orleans and Texas Eailway, it is reasonable 
to presume that this important industry will be largely increased, the 
want of suitable transportation having heretofore been the leading 
obstacle in the way of its development, Horned cattle, horses, mules 



lgjf. LOUISIANA 



sheep, goats and hogs can be profitably raised in this parish, the 
grasses and other nourishment being abundant and accessible at all 
seasons of the year. 

Cities and Towns.— There is only one town in the parish at this time. 
This is known as Leesburg, and is the parish seat. It is located on 
Calcasieu Pass, and has a population of about one hundred persons. 
It was organized in 1871, has two churches, one school, three stores, 
two hotels, a court-house and other parish buildings. The postoffice 
at Leesburg is known as Cameron. The town is supplied with a black- 
smith, a saddler and a shoemaker, which appears to be about all the 
manufactures demanded by the community at present. With the in- 
crease in population, however, other industries will be required and 
rendered profitable. 

Market Facilities.— Heretofore the trade of Cameron has been prin- 
cipally confined to Galveston, which was reached at regular intervals 
by the vessels engaged in the Calcasieu lumber trade, but being now in 
communication by rail with New Orleans it is to be inferred that much 
of the produce of the parish will find its way to the market of the 
Southern metropolis. Especially will this be the case with live stock, 
and the staple products, such as sugar, cotton, rice, corn, etc., as well 
as such garden vegetables as may be raised for early marketing. 

Fruits and Vegetables.— All of the semi-tropical and many of the 
tropical fruits flourish in this portion of the State, especially oranges, 
bananas, figs, lemons, grapes, peaches, quinces, pears and plums. 
Orange culture has already been extensively engaged in in many por- 
tions of the parish, there beiug about 100,000 trees already planted in 
orchards, fully one-tenth of which are beginning to bear fruit. In ad- 
dition to the foregoing fruits might be mentioned dates, pomegranates, 
olives, cherries, papaws, japan plums, citrons, nectarines, shaddocks, 
blackberries, dewberries, strawberries, ate, all of which are either cul- 
tivated on a small scale or may be successfully grown. 

In the way of garden vegetables almost every variety may be pro- 
duced in the most remarkable profusion. In fact, the soil seems to 
be particularly adapted to the growth of vegetables, and most aston- 
ishing crops of cabbages, onions, turnips, radishes, etc., are produced 
without fertilization, except such as has been bestowed by the hand of 
nature in the shape of decayed vegetable matter. 

Fish and Game.— In the matter of fish and game, sportsmen will find 
an excellent field of amusement along the various water-courses of 
Cameron parish. Eedfish, sheephead, trout, perch, catfish, flounder, 
mullet, crabs, shrimps, turtles and oysters of the finest quality abound 
in its waters, as well as ducks, geese and other water fowl, at certain 
seasons of the year. 



EAST CARROLL PARISH. 

NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 

The parish of East Carroll is much like the parish of Madison ; it Is 
an unbroken line of smiling fields and plantations near the river front, 
but a deserted waste of overflowed territory to the west. Like Madison 
and in fact from the same causes— the lower Arkansas crevasses— it is 
overflowed in the rear, and like Madison again, it is protected on the 
immediate front by the Mississippi river levees. Entering the parish, 
however, from the west, you enter the most disheartening and desolate 
swamp that man ever penetrated. From the verge of this bottom, run- 
ning due east and passing the valleys of Jo's bayou and the Tensas, a 
distance of ten or fifteen miles, you pass across abandoned plantations. 
You see on every side wide-spreading fields, the ruins of stately man- 



HAST GARlWLL PABTSR 1$5 



sions, of once populous laborers' quarters, and of ruined gin houses, 
until you touch the western water-shed of Lake Providence. Here you 
reach comparatively high land at last, and, if you pause a moment to 
look back upon your sixteen miles' trip, you will realize that you have 
passed over a belt including many thousands of acres of magnificent 
land. This belt is like the corresponding belt in Madison parish, just 
south of it, of infinitely greater fertility than the river front, which is 
protected by the levees. 

Like the corresponding belt in Madison, though in a less degree, it 
comprises the largest as well as the most productive part of the parish. 
It is not, perhaps, overflowed as deep as Madison, since the lands of 
the alluvial belt are higher accordingly as you ascend the Mississippi 
Valley. Less money would be required to reclaim this fertile territory 
than the corresponding territory in Madison. Driving through the 
neglected fields you notice that the water-marks left upon the trees by 
the annual spring inundations are of a prevailing depth of not more 
than two feet. One is impressed with the splendid promise involved 
in a scheme of reclamation as applied to this unequaled tract. These 
lands could be purchased now at a cost of not more than $3 or $4 per 
acre, and by an additional expenditure of as much more, they could 
be made worth much more than the lands upon the river front, which 
are held and are salable at $50 per acre. They are in all respects bet- 
ter lands. They are more productive, they are more easily and cheaply 
cultivated, and the soil is deeper— in fact, inexhaustible. They are 
free from the troublesome grasses, the coco and Bermuda, which in- 
fest the front; and are in all respects more desirable. 

Such is East Carroll — 

Two Strips of Alluvium— One upon the river front, old and well-worn ; 
the other new, almost virgin soil, and rendered by the inundation of 
the past twenty years as rich as it ever was in its palmiest days. The 
former is thickly populated, thoroughly cultivated, teeming with re- 
munerative harvests. The other is deserted, unpopulated, for the 
present unavailable. 

But there is another side to the picture of East Carroll— a bright and 
gracious touch of prosperity and thrift. 

The river front, from north to south of the parish, is one unbroken 
garden, and in this must be included the two banks of Lake Provi- 
dence—a beautiful sheet of water, about six miles long and a mile or 
less wide, lying in the extreme northeastern corner of the parish and 
touching the river at the pretty little town of Lake Providence, the 
parish seat. Throughout this region the scene is one of peaceful and 
profitable industry. Splendid plantation fringe the lake and river 
shores ; stately dwellings and bright groups of laborer's houses, and 
broad, smiling fields delight the eye. These lands yield an average of 
500 or 600 pounds of lint cotton or forty bushels of corn to the acre 
under proper cultivation. The owners are prosperous and the laborers 
contented. There has been little or no political or social disturbance 
here. The races are on the best of terms ; the relations of employer 
and employe are well-defined and satisfactory. Altogether, the culti- 
vated and the overflowed districts present about as vivid a contrast as 
can be formed with prosperity and desolation as your material. 

Labor. — The proprietors plant in three different ways— the wage, 
the share and the tenant plan. The wages for regular hired labor 
averages seventy -five cents a day, the laborer buying his own 
supplies. The share laborer receives land, dwelling, team, tools, 
seed, fire- wood, and every necessary to make a crop, and gives half of 
what he makes to the proprietor. The tenant rents land, furnishes his 
own team, etc., and pays the owner eighty pounds of lint cotton per 
acre as rent. These three plans, so different in detail, all come to 
about the same thing in the end, except in the cases of some exception- 



1$6 Louisiana 



ally thrifty tenants. The day laborer, counting in extra wages in chop- 
ping and picking tine, makes about $250 per annum, and this is sub- 
stantially what the share laborer and the average tenant make. I 
know of instances where tenants, by intelligence, industry and economy, 
have accumulated an independence and are now well-to-do. White 
men can do this, but the average negro never thinks of to-morrow, and 
he is consequently a mere hand-to-mouth though comfortable liver at 
all times. This is the fault of the individual, however, and not of the 
system. The system is liberal enough— far more so than the system 
in any other agricultural country that I know of. I have examined its 
workings attentively, and I have no doubt whatever that it offers to 
honest industry and intelligent thrift the finest promise that is offered 
anywhere in the civilized world to men without capital. The share 
laborer on the great cotton plantations of East Carroll can, without 
any capital except that of his naked muscle, earn as good a living and 
as large a pot for a rainy day as the farmer in England with $1000 in 
money to start with— yes, lamer. 

White Labor.— 1 noticed that, although East Carrol] seems better 
supplied with hands than almost any of the cotton parishes in propor- 
tion to the area cultivated, there was also a larger number of white 
men at work in the fields. 

The hackneyed old fable that white men cannot do field-work in the 
South ought to be exploded by this time, anyhow ; especially when 
statistics show that three-fifths of the cotton produced in the United 
States is prodm 1 by white labor. Although I feel bound to say that 
East Carroll, like Madison, and for the same reasons, is not prepared 
to offer inducements to the small farmer with his modest means, it is 
prepared to offer as tempting prospects as could be desired to the com- 
petent laborer, either white or colored, who is seeking to accummulate 
a start in life by the mere work of his hands. 

Area, Climate and Timber.— East Carroll parish contains, upon a 
rough estimate 250,000 acres of land ; of this there is only about 78,000 
in cultivation. Much more is open and in every way adapted to suc- 
cessful cultivation, but, as I have already shown, it has been adan- 
doned on account of the annual inundation. In the bayou bottoms 
there are superb growths of timber— cypress, gum and cottonwood, live 
oak and ash ; and, during the annual inundations, this timber can be 
rafted out to a profitable market. East Carroll is bounded on the 
north by the State of Arkansas, south 'by the parish of Madison, east 
by the Mississippi river and west by Bayou Macon. Thus it has for its 
eastern and western boundaries two navigable streams. The climate 
is delightful, ranging at an average of 85 from May to November, and 
at an average of 55 to 60 during the remainder of the year. It is re- 
markably healthy— such diseases as scarlet and typhoid fevers, small- 
pox, chohra, pneumonia, diptheria, etc., being practically unknown. 

I may cite, indeed, as an illustration of the healthiness of this part 
of f he country that the census enumerator for the extreme western 
ward of Madison parish— lying immediately south of East Carroll — 
found in his whole ward but one single case of death from sickness 
during the year ending with his count. 

The Parish Seat.— The pretty little town of Lake Providence, which 
takes its name from the body of water at whose mouth it lies, is 
the seat of East Carroll. The population is between 800 and 1000. It 
is plentifully supplied with churches and schools and boasts a number 
of first-class stores, which do a large business. The lake itself is one 
of the pretties bodies of Avater I ever saw, reaching out from the river 
in a northwesterly direction and forming as picturesque and graceful a 
scene as I remember anywhere. Lake Providence is an orderly, well- 
governed town. Its mayor, Hon. C. E. Egelly, is a gentleman of high 
standing and administrative ability, and he is handsomely supported 



WEST CARROLL PARISH. 127 



by his colleagues in office as well as by an intelligent and patriotie 
public sentiment. I was struck by the evidences of law-abiding spirit 
and of well organized society on every side. Here I found, also, a 
tolerable inn, two excellent livery stables, and— most significant of 
all— a really first-class newspaper. 

WEST CARROLL PARISH. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population : 2776. White, 1339; colored, 1437. 

Area : 380 square miles. Woodland, all. Alluvial land, 220 square 
miles- oak uplands, 100 square miles; pine lands, 60 square miles. 

Tilled lands: 10,071. Area planted in cotton, 5517 acres; in corn, 
3868 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 27 acres. 

Cotton production: 4012 bales; average cotton product per acre, 0.73 
bale 1035 pounds seed-cotton, or 345 pounds cotton lint. 

West Corroll, a parish latelv formed, lies between Bayous Mason 
and Boeuf, but includes only a narrow belt of alluvium lyingalong these 
streams, the main body being an upland ridge similar to the Bastrop 
hills, constituting the most northerly portion of the upland peninsula, 
which, farther south, forms part of the parishes of Richland and 
Franklin (see above), under the general designation of "Bavou Macon 
Hills " This ridse rises rather abruptly from the bottom plain of the 
Bayou Macon to the height of twenty feet. It is composed of a sandy, 
yellow loam, and its eastern portion is timbered with short-leaf pine. 
In the western, the post and black-jack oaks predominate over the 
pine, but the soil is rather thin. The westward slope, towards Bayou 
Boeuf, is gentle, and the land improves as we descend ; the yellow loam 
subsoil being apparent for some distance into the Boeuf alluvial plain. 
The soil of the latter is highly productive. Nearly all the cotton 
grown in this parish is produced in the alluvial belts. 



CATAHOULA PARISH. 

BY JUDGE J. F. MARSHALL, HARRISONBURG. 

Catahoula lies between 31 and 32 north lattitude and is bounded on 
the north by Caldwell and Franklin parishes, on the east by Tensas 
and Concordia, on the south by Avoyelles, and on the west by Winn, 
Grant and Bapides. Its area is about 1,404 square miles, equal to 
898 560 acres of land. Previous to the close of the last century, many 
settlements had been formed within the bounds of Catahoula, and were 
known as "Catahoula settlements." In 1805 the territorial council of 
Orleans created, by law, the parish of Bapides, and included the Cata- 
houla settlements in that parish. In 1808 the legislature passed an act 
erectihgCatahoulasettlementsintoaseparatepar.su. _ 

In 1842 a portion of Avoyelles was annexed to Catahoula, since which 
time the boundaries of the parish have not been materially changed. 

Taxation.— The present rate of taxation for parish purposes is ten 
mills on the dollar. Between the years 1865 and 1877, owing to a com- 
bination of causes which it is not necessary to mention, this, like the 
majority of the parishes of our State, became involved financially. It 
is now almost freed from debt, and from this time forward parish taxa- 
tion will be less than it is now. ,...,, . . ^ 

General Contour, Etc.— The parish is naturally divisible into two 
sections, one of which is called*"the hills" and th° other "theswamp,, 
this being a portion of the great Mississippi bottom. The parish is 



128 LOUISIANA. 



well timbered throughout, there being very little prairie in it. The 
hill portion is a succession of elevations, interspersed with valleys and 
bottoms, and intersected by numerous creeks, some of which are fed 
by springs of pure water. The swamp, which is not quite as extensive 
as the hills, is level alluvial land, intersected by numerous rivers and 
bayous and dotted with lakes, some of which are beautiful. 

In the swamp region are .found nearly all the valuable varieties of 
oaks, also the ash, sweet-gum, hackberry, maple and persimmon. In 
the hills, in addition to the varieties mentioned, there are poplar, su- 
mac, sassafras, hickory, magnolia, and vast forests of pine trees. The 
soil of the swamp is exceedingly fertile, but contains no minerals, that 
of the hills is generally a sandy loam, based upon red or yellow clay, 
with rocks suitable for building purposes, cropping out on the hillsides. 
The soil of the numerous valleys in the hill region is alluvian, and very 
productive. In the northern part of the parish near the Ouachita 
Biver, coal has been found ; in the western part there are traces of iron 
ore; chalk and potter's clay abound, and it is said there is kaolin in 
the parish. That there is much sulphur is evinced by the numerous 
sulphur springs, two of which, the White Sulphur and the Castor Sul- 
phur, are justly noted for their healing properties. The mineral re- 
sources of the parish have not been developed. 

Products, Yield, Etc.— All the products suitable to this latitude can 
be grown in the parish, but the following are best adapted to cultiva- 
tion : Cotton, corn, peas, sugar cane, oats, tobacco, rice, potatoes and 
melons. The average yield of these is probably as great as in any 
other parish in the State. 

In the hills the average vield of corn per acre is about fifteen bushels ; 
of cotton about 1000 pounds of seed cotton. In the swamp the average 
yield of corn is about tnirty-five bushels per acre, and of cotton about 
one bale. Much of the land in the parish will, when properly culti- 
vated, crod uce from one to two bales of cotton to the acre, and from 
thirty to fifty bushels of corn. Corn was sold last year in the home 
market at from fiftv to seventy-five cents per bushel, and cotton 
brought verv little less than it was sold for in New Orleans. 

Healtli.—The parish is about as healthy as any other portion of Cen- 
tral or Northern Louisiana, and in this respect compares favorably 
with any other portion of the Southwest. In the swamp, cistern water 
is used. In the hills good wells and springs are common. The tem- 
perature rarely ever rises above 90° in summer and seldom falls below 
freezing point in winter. Sunstrokes are exceedingly uncommon. The 
winters are generally mild enough to admit of good gardens. 

Population.— According to the last census, the estimated population 
is 10,701, about two-fifths of which are blacks. The latter are quiet and 
peaceable, but are unthrifty, and not as industrious as the white labor- 
ers of the West and North. They are gradually leaving the parish for 
those sections where their race is numerically stronger than the whites. 
The majority of the whites are from the old States of the Union. There 
are many Germans, Irish and Israelites here, who seem to be pros- 
perous and contented. 

Lands.— In the swamp, the public land belongs to the State, and is 
generally too much subject to overflow to be settled. In the hills, 
there are immense bodies of public land belonging to the United States, 
subject to entry. Private unimproved lands can be purchased in -any 
sized tracts and at from 50 cents to $8 per acre ; and improved lands 
can be bought at from $1 to $15 per acre. Land can be rented at from 
$1.50 to $3.50 per acre, but the usual manner of renting is "on the 

Religions Denominations.— Nearly all the religious denominations to 
be found in the Union are represented here ; but the vast majority of 
the religious people belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church South 



CATAHOULA PARISH. igg 



and the Missionary Baptist Church. There are about fifty churches 
The educational facilities are not as good as desirable, owing to the 
sparseness and poverty of the people, and the temporary inadequacy- 
of the public school fund, Last year there were ten private and fifty 
two public schools in operation. It is believed that when the wise pro 
visions of the Constitution of 1879 shall have been fully enforced the 
public schools will be better than they have been since the war 

Labor— In the swamp blacks are generally employed as laborers 
These, though not as efficient as is desirable, are far more reliable now 
than they were soon after their emancipation. In the hills the labor- 
ers are white men from the older States of the Union. Chinese are not 
wanted, and the introduction of them would be a public calamity 
Catahoula needs and her people want intelligent white laborers from 
other sections of the United States and from Europe— men who will 
come here for the purpose of establishing for themselves permanent 
homes and identifying themselves in interest with her citizens Such 
will be heartily welcomed, will find employment at remunerative 
wages, and will be able to work all the vear in the field with safety tlie 
old error, inculcated by the enemies of the South, that only black men 
can do this having been exploded by observation and experiment since 
the war. The people not having recovered fully from the disastrous 
effects of the late war. and the unwise application of the reconstruc 
tion laws, the mechanical industry is at a low ebb, and there is no 
great demand for mechanics; but from this time forward the demanc 
will be greater. Laborers are offered from $6 to $16 per month with 
rations, and mechanics from $2 to $3 a day. Cropping on shares is 
very generally practiced. In some instances the renter agrees to give 
one bale of cotton for the rent of eight or ten acres of land. In others 
the laborer furnishes his own provisions and the labor and gets one- 
half the produce, the land and everything else being furnished by the 
landlord, who gets the other half. In others the landlord furnishes 
everything but the labor and receives three-fourths of the crop 

Immigration— There is some immigration, mostly from Mississippi 
Alabama 'and Texas. No efforts have been made to secure immi- 
grants. 

: Stock Raising— The parish throughout is well adapted to stock rais- 
ing. The soil everywhere is covered with succulent weeds, bushes 
vines and nutritious grasses, that afford abundant food for cattle' 
sheep, goats and horses. The numerous oak, pine and beech trees and 
muscadine vines produce abundant mast for hogs. Horses are rarely 
fed except when in use, and other kinds of stock are reared for market 
without feeding. Nearly every farmer is engaged, to some extent in 
stock raising, and there are many herds of cattle in the parish. Stock 
cattle are valued at $5 per head, sheep at from $1 50 to $2 per head and 
hogs from fifty cents to $1. The profit of stock raising is simply enor- 
mous ; in some instances more than 50 per cent has been realized. 

Water Power. — Little has been accomplished in the direction of 
manufacturing ; but in the hill region there are many creeks having 
water-power sufficient to propel saw and grist mills 'and cotton gins 
and two or three having sufficient power to run cotton and wool facto- 
ries. There are several saw and grist mills and gins run by water 
and several propelled by steam— all of which are doing a good busi- 
ness. 

Market— mew Orleans is the best market. Produce is shipped by 
steamers on the Ouachita, Tensas, Little, and Black, and Bed Bivers 
and reaches New Orleans in one or two davs. In addition to these 
facilities, the Vidalia and Western Bailroad, now building, has for its 
objective point Trinity, which is situated at the junction of Ouachita, 
Little and Tensas Bivers, in this parish, and only 24f miles from Vida- 
lia. The road has been completed to within 14| miles of Trinity, and 
17 



180 LOUISIANA, 



the company propose to complete the balance this fall. The whole 
route has been surveyed, and is pronounced by competent engineers 
to be the highest, shortest, cheapest and best route across the Missis- 
sippi bottom. When completed, Trinity will be within one and a half 
hours' run of Natchez and the great Mississippi River ; and the compe- 
tition that will exist between the railroad and the rivers will forever 
redeem us from that terrible mill-stone of the far- West, high freight 
tariffs and railroad combinations. 

Fruits.— Apples, pears, plums, strawberries and grapes, are the fruits 
most suitable for cultivation. Blackberries, dewberries, mulberries, 
muscadines and other fruits are found everywhere growing wild and 
in great abundance. Fruit growing as a business has not been en- 
gaged in extensively. 

Vegetables.— Peas," beans, cabbages, radishes, squashes, okra, let- 
tuce, onions, beets, and all other vegetables suitable to the South, can 
be grown in abundance and profitably. 

Silk, Honey, Tanning, &c— Silk culture has never been engaged in, 
but from the facts that the climate is suitable, that the mulberry and 
other growths upon which the silkworm feeds, flourish here, and that 
this is the habitat of caterpillars similar in nature to the silkworm, it 
is believed that, as an industry, silk-culture could be made profitable. 

This is emphatically a honey making country. Thousands of swarms 
of wild bees are found .yearly in the forests, and at nearly every farm 
house may be seen hives in which these busy little creatures are de- 
positing their valued treasures. 

The whole country, especially swamp region, being covered with nu- 
tritious growths, milk, butter and cheese can be produced at little cost. 
All kinds of poultry are easily raised. 

Oak bark of the best kinds, and other tanning- materials being plen- 
tiful, and hides abundant and cheap, tanning could be engaged in 
profitably. Saw-mills, lumbering, cotton, wool and wagon factories 
could be made profitably. 

Fish, Fowl. — The many rivers, creeks, bayous and beautiful lakes 
are in the fall, winter and early spring the resort of thousands of geese, 
brants and ducks, and at all times are teeming with edible fish, such 
as the trout, bass, perch, bream, cat, drum and buffalo. These are 
easily caught with lead and line, and contribute both to the pleasure 
and profit of the people. In the forests are thousands of deer, squir- 
rels, rabbits and other game. 

Profits of Industry.— An industrious man can cultivate about 15 
acres in cotton, corn, peas and vegetables, on which he can produce 
from eight to ten bales of cotton, from 150 to 300 bushels of corn, and 
potatoes and vegetables for family consumption ; and when we add to 
this the profits of his cattle, hogs and horses that subsist on the range, 
in most places, the whole year, it is plainlv to be seen that the profits 
of farm labor are simply extraordinary, when compared with that of 
the states of Europe or the older States of the Union. The truth is 
there is probably no country where a living can be made with less ex- 
ertion than in Catahoula, and the exemption which this affords from 
the great law of labor, has really injured our people by paralyzing their 
energy. 

It may be asked, Why has a region presenting so many inducements 
to immigration remained so long comparatively unknown and without 
population ? To this a satisfactory answer can be readily given. Pre- 
vious to the late war the rich swamp lands lying principally along the 
Ouachita, Black, Tensas and Little Rivers, and on Sicily Island, had 
been purchased by wealthy slave owners, were held by them in large 
bodies, and could not be bought for less than from $25 to $75 per acre. 
Large bodies of these lands had been brought into cultivation, costly 
improvements had been erected upon them, and they were the seats of 



CLAIBORNE PARISH. 131 



prosperity, wealth and luxury, and in many instances of intelligence 
and refinement. The hill region was also gradually settling with pros- 
perous and independent small farmers. The long and bloody war, 
during which this was the theatre of predatory strife, and the unhappy 
and unwise administration of the reconstruction laws, devastated the 
country, drove many of its best citizens away, impoverished those that 
remained and repelled immigration. 



CLAIBORNE PARISH. 

. BY JOHN H. CHAPPELL, HOMER. 

The parish of Claiborne, originally many times larger than its pre- 
sent dimensions, has furnished territory for the successive creation of 
adjacent parishes, but is still one of the largest and most populous par- 
ochial divisions of the State of Louisiana. Lying midway in the north- 
ern tier of parishes that touch the southern border of the State of 
Arkansas, from which they are separated by the 33d degree of north 
latitude, it is bounded on the east by the parishes of Union and Lin- 
coln, on the south by Bienville, and on the west by Webster. 

The general contour of the parish presents the appearance of a rect- 
angle, narrowing somewhat near its southern corners. Without aim- 
ing at perfect accuracy, we may say that it measures longitudinally 
about thirty miles, and latitudinally, on an average, about twenty- 
seven, containing about 790 square miles, or 505,600 acres. Of this area 
not more than one-fourth has ever been brought into a state of cultiva- 
tion, the remainder being in timber, as there is no prairie land in Clai- 
borne. 

The general features of the landscape presents a series of successive 
hills, not precipitous but for the most part gently undulating and oc- 
casionally relieved by broad stretches of level uplands and the fre- 
quent recurrence of running streams of pure, limpid water, which 
course through valleys of fertile bottom land. The forests everywhere 
abound in the most desirable and useful timber indigenous to our 
Southern soil. Yellow pine, many varieties of the oak, ash, hickory, 
elm, walnut, gums and cypress are found in profusion and of quality 
unsurpassed for the different uses to which they may be applied. 

The soil, for the most part, is a rich sandy loam, varying in color and 
tenacity in different localities, easy to cultivate, and, when not ex- 
hausted by long-continued cropping, liberally responds to the hand of 
industrious labor. Cotton, corn, peas, oats, wheat, rye, sweet and Irish 
potatoes, sorgham and sugar cane, pumpkins, turnips, melons, and 
almost every species of garden vegetables are raised in Claiborne ; and 
not a few only, but nearly all of these are staple crops on every well- 
managed farm. For the first eight or ten years after clearing, land 
here will produce on an average, without rest and manure, half bale of 
cotton per acre, or 20 bushels of corn, or 200 bushels of potatoes, or 200 
gallons of molasses, 25 bushels of oats and an after crop of peas. This 
is a reasonable estimate ; many fields of uplands have with ordinary 
cultivation, and without fertilizing, produced a bale of cotton per acre, 
and while the writer is penning this description of the parish many of 
his acquaintances are housing crops of corn from fields that are yield- 
ing 30 bushels to every acre. But while these are the expected pro- 
ducts of the virgin soil skilfully cultivated, exhausted land and inju- 
dicious farming are incompetent to the half of these results. It is 
true that the "Fountain of perpetual Youth" does not flow through 
the parish of Claiborne, for many aged men and women are to be 
found in every community within its limits. 



132 LOUISIANA. 



It is true that many learned and skillful physicians are dispensing 
the healing art among the people here, but it is just as true that none 
of them are growing rich from the income of professional service. 
Good health has been the boon of the people since the first settlement 
of the parish. The abundant supply of water from wells and springs, 
uniformly clear, cool and pure, the undulating surface of the land, the 
pure, dry atmosphere, all combine to render this climate unsurpassed 
in salubrity. Fatal epidemics have never visited, and a case of sun- 
stroke perhaps was never known to occur in Claiborne parish. For our 
people to visit the highlands and seaside resorts of other States seek- 
ing pleasure and recreation is not uncommon, but to do so as valetudi- 
narians would be considered rather ludicrous here. 

The present population of Claiborne parish is something over 19,000, 
and about equally divided between the whites and blacks. 

The resident white people are remarkably homogeneous, being emi- 
grants, or their descendants, from the Southern States east of the Mis- 
sissippi river. They are intelligent, industrious, law-abiding, patriotic 
and in a high sense moral in their deportment. Hospitality to stran- 
gers is Lot the least of their virtues, and well-behaved visitors from 
other localities always find a cordial welcome. 

The colored people are orderly, cheerful, moderately industrious, re- 
spectful and friendly in ther* intercourse with the whites. Many of 
them are land owners, and are peacefully and quietly cultivating their 
farms, being prosperous in business, contented and happy. This is a 
parish of farmers, not of planters, and the idea of a '"'landed aris- 
tocracy," if it ever obtained, has long since become obsolute in Clai- 
borne. 

Lands are remarkably cheap, considering their intrinsic value. Ex- 
cellent woodlands can be purchased in tracts of any size desired 
at from f>2 to $3 per acre, and improved places with good residence and 
outbuildings and fences at from $5 to $7. The payments can be 
arranged on the most accommodating terms, running through a series 
of several years. 

Land rent ranges from $2 to $5 per acre, $3 being the average price. 
Many prefer to give one-third of the corn and one-fourth of the cotton 
which may be gathered off the land. The Federal Government still 
owns a few thousand acres of land that is subject to entry by settlers, 
and the State a much larger amount, but most of the latter is bottom 
land bordering the large watercourses and subject to annual overflow. 
Much valuable upland is held by the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas 
Railroad, which will doubtless soon be offered for sale on terms both 
reasonable and accommodating. 

The religious sentiment of the people of Claiborne is intensely prot- 
estant. Nearly the entire population attend religious services on the 
Sabbath at their various denominational house of worship. A statisti- 
cal report approximating accuracy will show, -that, in the bounds of 
the parish, there are nearly one hundred churches, denominationally 
considered as follows : of Methodist, both Episcopal and Protestant, 
22; of Baptist, Missionary, Primative and Campbellite, 22; of Presby- 
terian 3 ; summing up 47 churches for the whites. The colored people 
have as many or a few more, which are exclusively Methodist and Bap- 
tist. Many of these buildings are rudn and uncomfortable structures, 
but most of them are neat, convenient and pleasantly located, while 
not a few are beautiful models of architectural design and mechanical 
skill. 

This report would hardly be complete not to mention the three Meth- 
odist Camp Grounds, known as the Mt. Zion, the Lisbon, and the Ala- 
bama, where thousands of people assemble once a year and spend a 
week in religious worship. 



CLAIBORNE PARISH. 133 



The people of Ciaiborne parish have always placed a higli estimate 
upon the advantages of education. They are very generally a reading 
community, and books and newspapers are to be found in almost every 
house. The existence of two chartered institutions of learning in the 
town of Homer, to wit : the Masonic Female Institute and the Homer 
Male College, attest their zeal in behalf of the cause of higher learn- 
ing. The organization last year of over seventy schools, and the estab- 
lishment and maintenance of twenty-tive private seminaries, are facts 
which pioclaim louder than words, their self-sacrificing determination 
to educate their children. Of these literary benefits the colored popu- 
lation are receiving an equable share, and are not slow to improve the 
educational opportunities afforded to them. 

Doubtless four-fifths of the adult male population of this parish are 
engaged in daily manual labor. Idleness is justly considered re- 
proachful, and the best citizens -many of them above the fear of want — 
are hard-working, industrious men. The mass of the whites, being 
economical and thrifty, have some capital of their own, and, when not 
land owners, prefer to rent the land they cultivate. Where they choose 
to work for wages the white laborer readily receives $15 a month and 
board. For the most part they are treated as members of the employ- 
er's family, and have many social advantages. 

Field work is continued during the entire year without jeopardy to 
the health, and with but little discomfort to the white laborer. There 
is really less sickness here in midsummer than in the fall or early 
spring. The colored population, however, furnish the majority of 
those who work for wages. These receive from $10 to $15 per month 
and board, according to qualifications and character. But most farms 
are cultivated on the share system ; the proprietor furnishing the land, 
stock and implements and the laborer his services and boarding him- 
self and family, the crop, when gathered, being equally divided be- 
tween them. As this, the most common method of contracts, relates 
only to the cultivation of the soil and the housing of the crops, pro- 
prietors experience great annoyance and vexation in keeping their 
farms in good repair, since for all other kinds of labor supplementary 
.contracts must be made ; and the average negro, unless urged to exer- 
tion by the necessity of his condition, is unwilling, for any reasonable 
consideration, to respond to these additional demands upon his muscu- 
lar activity. It is a just remark that several months of each year are 
virtually wasted in comparative idleness by the large majority of this 
class of laborers. A large increase of white laborers is greatly desired, 
and they would readily find constant, pleasant and profitable employ- 
ment. Mechanics are paid from $2 to $3 a day, but usually prefer to 
work by the job. Lumber is abundant, and sells at the numerous saw- 
mills for $10 per thousand feet. 

There has been no immigration to this parish worthy of mention for 
the last ten years, yet the census enumeration has steadily and rapidly 
increased during that period of time, from the natural growth of the 
resident population, which is the best evidence, both of the healthful- 
ness of the parish and the contentment of the people. 

Although Claiborne parish is not ranked as a stockraising country, 
yet it is true that both cattle and sheep are cheaper here than on the 
famous prairies of Texas. Large herds are not considered profitable, 
but most farmers have several head of cattle, for domestic use, and 
good beef is both abundant and cheap. Neat cattle are selling at this 
time at about seyen dollars a head, taking the herd throughout. Swine 
thrive and are extensively raised. Improved breeds have been very 
generally introduced, and have become so common that "pedigree" no 
longer enhances the price. Among the rural population dressed meats 
may be quoted at from 3 to 5 cents for beef, 4 to 5 cents for pork, and 



IS 4 LOUISIANA. 



mutton 50 cents per quarter. Residents of towns may have to pay 
somewhat higher for the convenience of a regular market. 

In a country where many beeves are slaughtered, hides must be 
plentiful. This fact, coupled with that of the inexhaustible supply of 
tan-bark which the forest affords, would suggest that the tanning of 
leather would be a most profitable business in this parish. Happily 
experience has already demonstrated the success of experiments in this 
department of industry, for our few small domestic tanneries are driv- 
ing imported leather from the home market. 

Some years ago a corporation known as "The Claiborne Manufac- 
turing Company" erected, at great expense, in the town of Arizona, 
and operated successfully for a long time a large cotton factory. For 
reasons out of place to mention here, this costly structure with all its 
machinery has recently passed into the ownership of a wealthy New 
Orleans capitalist, who, by ordering repairs for needed renovation, 
has encouraged hopes that he will soon revive and put in operation 
this long-suspended industvy. Public steam gins and grist mills 
have almost entirely superceded the old-fashioned horse-power 
running gear, formerly attached to every plantation gin- house. They 
have becomo so numerous in Claiborne that in many localities several 
of their shrill whistles may be simultaneously heard. The toll for 
grinding corn is- uniformly the eighth part, and for ginning and pack- 
ing coton it varies between the fifteenth and the eighteenth. 

This parish may be justly recommended for successful bee cultui'e. 
Much honey is annually extracted from the numerous hives, and some' 
enterprising bee-keepers make it a commodity of profitable export. 
The primitive "gums" are mostly used, and one such with a colony of 
bees sells here for one dollar and a half. 

Poultry of all descriptions can be raised here in unlimited quantity, 
and fowls abound in every barn-yard, though the writer is not ac- 
quainted with any one who has made an occupation of this specialty. 
Fish and game are not so plentiful as formerly, and are sought after 
more for amusement than profit. 

Many kinds of choice fruit trees seem to luxuriate in this soil and 
climate. Two extensive and popular nursuries, located in this parish, 
are annually dispersing many thousands of the best quality of fruit 
trees besides grape-vines and flowers in great abundance. These en- 
terprises are said to be eminently successful, and perhaps no adventure 
more profitable has, for the amount of capital invested, ever been 
undertaken in this section of country. 

The scuppernong grape has been extensively cultivated, and several 
fine vineyards containing from two to seven acres each, with flourishing 
vines trained on galvanized wire, may be seen in and near the town of 
Homer. On a smaller scale they arescattered throughout the rural dis- 
tricts. Hundreds of gallons of "this delicious wine are manufactured 
from the products of these vineyards, which yield a handsome revenue 
to the proprietors. 

The fruit canning business px^esents a most tempting inducement to 
those skilled in that art to establish a factory here, as thousands of 
bushels of delicious peaches are annually fed to hogs. 

It only remains to be said that there is one serious hinderance to the 
rapid development of the resources of this beautiful, fertile and health- 
ful parish. Rapid transportation is a boon not yet enjoyed by the peo- 
ple of Claiborne. The nearest shipping point is Minden on Bayou 
Dorchite, twenty miles from the Court House, and affording precarious 
navigation. The Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas Railroad will pro- 
bably run along the southern border of the parish, and §oon afford the 
desired relief. In the course of events not remotely future, it is hoped 
that a north and south line of railroad will traverse the entire parish, 
and then our facilities will be complete. 



CONCORDIA PARISH. 135 



Now while lands are so very cheap, let honest and industrious emi- 
grants from other localities turn their attention to the salubrious up- 
lands of Claiborne. They will surely find re oi unerase employment, 
pleasant homes and a cordial welcome from an intelligent, thiifty and 
upright people. 

t 

CONCORDIA PARISH. 

BY HON. GEO. L. WALTON. 

This parish is situated upon the bank of the Mississippi Eiver, and 
extends from the mouth of Red River for ninety miles, where it joins 
the parish of Tensas, upon the west. This parish is bounded, first, by 
Red River, up to where the Black River enters the Red, and then by 
Black River to Trinity, which is formed by the junction of Little River, 
Tensas and the Ouachita ; and from there it is bounded by the Tensas 
to the upper line. Thus, it will be observed that this parish is almost 
surrounded bv water, and the Mississippi is at all times navigable, 
and the Red, Black and Tensas are so for most of the time— thus giving 
almost daily communication with New Orleans, for these waters are 
all constantly navigated by the finest and safest kind of steamers, and, 
besides these streams on each side, the Oocodril runs directly through 
the centre of the parish and enters the Red River near its mouth ; this 
stream could be made navigable for six months in the year with a very 
small expenditure of money. In addition to these facilities, there is a 
railroad under construction from Vidalia, the parish seat, to Trinity- 
square across the parish, very little above the centre. 

This parish is entirely alluvial and the lands are of the very best 
quality, not one acre that will not bring a bale of cotton, or thirty to 
forty bushels of corn, with reasonably good cultivation, and much more 
if properly tilled. All the fruits and vegetables of the temperate zone 
flourish here if properly cared for. 

Before the war the real estate of this palish was assessed at some- 
thing over seven millions of dollars and the personal, including slaves, 
for about seven and one half millions, and now. the real property is 
assessed at one million, and the personal at about three hundred thou- 
sand dollars, the reason of this vast depreciation is caused by the 
change in the system of labor, and the dilapidated condition of the 
levees, for this parish like all other alluvial districts is dependent upon 
the levees. With a good levee system there is no doubt but what the 
lands in this parish would appreciate millions in a very short time. 

The plantations fronting on the Mississippi can be bought now for 
about one-third of ante-bellum rates, and many places on the Black 
and Tensas rivers can be purchased now for less money than the im- 
provements on them cost in the first place. Before the war this parish 
made about 70,000 bales of cotton, and now about 25,000, which shows 
that there is about 40,090 to 50,000 acres of land now lying idle that 
once raised fine crops of corn and cotton, and will probably remain so 
unless the levees are built ; if, however, they should be built the spec- 
ulation in these lands of Carroll, Madison, Tensas and Concordia would 
be simply fabulous. 

The water used is generally cistern water, and the health of the par- 
ish is as good as any other country under the sun, with the exception 
of three months in the year, In July, August and September we have 
a good deal of chills and fever, .which yields readily to treatment, and 
is not fatal except in rare instances. 

The population has increased 50 per cent during the last decade, and 
is now about 15,000 -about 1000 whites and 14,000 blacks— -who mainly do 



136 LOUISIANA. 



the labor. Yet white men have always succeeded well, and stand the 
climate as well, and do better— that is, make it more profitablo— than 
the blacks. It is a great mistake to think that white people cannot 
work in this climate, for I know of many instances where they have 
made splendid success. 

Immigrants are wanted here, and they will receive a cordial welcome, 
whether capitalists or laborers. Small capitalists could make splendid 
investments at this time, and no man who desires to work at fair wages 
need be idle even for one day. Parties who wish to work on shares 
are furnished with comfortable houses, team, tools, firewood and a 
garden spot free of charge, and those who wish to lease are offered 
everv facility, and advances are made to them on the most reasonable 
terms ; in fact, a man can come here without a dollar', and lease land, 
purchase mules and tools and get his supplies advanced to him for the 
year on credit, and if he is any account can at least make his living and 
pay for his team and tools the first year, and after that his success de- 
pends upon himself, for it is assured if he will do his duty. Fertilizers 
are used to a very limited extent, but experience has proven that when 
used the results have been splendid and pay a very handsome profit. 

The swamp lying between the Mississippi and Black Rivers furnishes 
an inexhaustible pasture for cattle and hogs, and they do well with 
little attention ; sheep, also, do well and require no feeding winter or 
summer. 

Reliable parties can even make arrangements with planters to pay 
their transportation to the parish, and will be credited to the end of the 
year for payment. 

In conclusion, I will say that any one who desires to invest money, 
or to settle with a view of cultivating the soil, ought by all means to 
visit the alluvial portion of Louisiana before deciding finally, for it is 
certainly the garden spot of the earth. 



DE SOTO PARISH. 

BY R. T. GIBBS, M. D., MANSFIELD. 

The parish of DeSoto is situated in North Louisiana, bounded on the 
west by the Sabine River, and on the east by the waters of the Bayou 
Pierre, which enters the Red Rivor through Bayou Wimsey, about five 
miles below the town of Coushatta. The 32d of north latitude passes 
through the centre of the parish, about three miles south of the town 
of Mansfield, the parish seat of justice. The general surface of this 
parish is undulating-— only small and detached portions too broken 
for ready cultivation, very small quantities being in any manner 
swampy, and rich alluvial bottoms on all the bayous and running 
streams, very little subject to overflows ; and these descriptions of allu- 
vial lands all very fertile, yielding in favorable seasons one bale of cot- 
ton per acre and from 25 to 41 bushels of corn. 

That portion of the parish the drainage of which flows to the Sabine 
River is undulating sufficient for readily carrying off its surface waters, 
the slopes beiDg long and broad, well timbered with every variety of 
forest growth peculiar to the South. 

The parish nearly equally divided into an eastern and western section 
by the ridge separating the waters of the Red and Sabine Rivers, this 
ridge running a course due north and south. On the crest of this 
ridge, and in close proximity to its geograpical centre, stands the town 
of Mansfield, containing with its suburbs nearly 1000 inhabitants. 

There is no town in any portion of the southwest, situated on the 
32d degree of north latitude can show better health, a smaller death- 



DE SOTO PARTSH. 137 



rate, better and purer water, and all those other adjuncts which con- 
tribute to make up aD eligible location for family residences. 

Every portion of this parish is well and abundantly watered, and 
where natural springs do not abound, well water can be easily obtained 
by digging from twenty to forty feet. 

The greatest variety of fruit growth is abundant on its entire surface, 
and in the Sabine slopes the varieties are more diffused ; here being in 
great abundance all the different kinds of oak, magnificent groves of 
magnolia grandiflora the pride of the South, ash of several kinds, 
hickories of many kinds and mammoth size, the elm, the beach, the 
linn, with large sections of the yellow pine, unexcelled for the purposes 
of building. 

The general quality of the soil is a rich loam on a clay foundation, 
producing mainly the great staple cotton, corn, oats, barley, rye and 
sugar cane, to which much attention has of late years been given for 
domestic purposes, the yield being from 250 to 350 gallons of syrup per 
acre, and this of the best quality. 

The cane is never injured by frosts and the growth will compare fav- 
orably with that of the lower Mississippi, though of course not so rich 
in its saccharine qualities. 

Rice is at times cultivated for home purposes, in certain localities is 
a sure crop, the yield being from fifteen to twenty-five bushels in the 
rough per acre, and it is only limited on account of the want of the 
necessary cleaning machinery. 

The area of this parish is 1090 square miles, making 699,600 acres, of 
which less than 10 per cent, is under cultivation, and there is not more 
than 5 per cent, of this area of uncultivable waste or swamp, and there 
is hardly to be found a quarter section of land in any portion on which 
an industrious farmer could not establish a good homestead for his 
household. 

Nearly the entire parish, except the public lands, is held by actual 
settlers or non-resident owners, who purchased years ago for settlement 
and have been only prevented from so doing by the general ruin of 
theirffortunes by the late civil war. . 

Open lands with comfortable improvements can be purchased at 
from $3 to $5 per acre, and even in exceptional cases at less rates 
when taken in large tracts. 

There are still large bodies of vacant land, the title vested in United 
States government, or by some previous congressional action, in rail- 
roads, but all these lands are open to homesteads, and many settlers 
have made themselves homes thereon. All these lands are how open 
to entry either in the State or United States Land Office, at prices from 
25. cents to $1 25 the acre. 

There is one agricultural interest which has been overlooked in the 
prevalent idea that cotton is our only staple— the production of tobacco, 
which grows here of the finest quality for smoking purposes, the qual- 
ity far excelling that of the Connecticut valley, not subject to any 
of the depredations of the tobacco worm, the same plant yielding two 
cuttings during the season. From 800 to 1000 pounds can be readily 
raised per acre from the first cutting arid half that amount from the 
second. 

This is the land of the sweet potato, which here arrives at its greatest 
perfection, 200 to 250 bushels per acre being a common yield. 

All varieties of the pea are cultivated, some of these giving two crops 
during the bearing season, and this without any expense or laborious 
cultivation. The ground-pea is cultivated in all sections for domestic 
and local use, and might be made profitable for exportation, as the 
yield is very large. 

The mineral productions of this parish are not extensive, but coal 
deposits are found in many locations, extending from the Sabine river 

18 



138 LOUISIANA. 



to Bayou Pierre, cropping out on the surface in several localities, five 
to six feet thick. 

This coal is bituminous lignite, rich in illuminating gas, burning well 
in the ordinary grate, but, wood being abundant in every section, no 
attention has been given to its development. Iron ore is in large de- 
posit in the Dolet hills of the Bed river slopes, the quality identically 
like that near Jefferson, Texas, valuable for many special purposes, 
with wood abundant for smelting. 

I have recently discovered near the town of Mansfield, indications of 
super phosphate, resembling verv much the celebrated South Carolina 
deposits on the Cooper and Ashley rivers. 

Professor Hilgard who made, several years ago, a geological recon- 
noissance of this section as far north as Mansfield, was much disap- 
pointed at not finding the indications of such a deposit, as he was led 
to expect from the geological formation of the country. 

I have thus far only discovered the surface deposits, and am led to 
hope that the building of the New Orleans Pacific will bring into view 
large deposits of this valuable fertilizing agent, so well adapted to our 
character of soil. 

The waters of the Eed Kiver leaving the main channel of that stream 
below the town of Shreveport, through the Bayou Pierre and the Tones 
Bayou, make a chain of Lakes, forming the eastern boundary of this 
parish, and again discharge themselves by the Bayou Winsey, into the 
Red River, in a very deep channel below the town of Coushatta. 

Steamers during the boating season thus come up within nine miles 
of Mansfield, entering the Winsey at its Red River mouth giving us 
good steamer navigation for about six months of the year. 

The lakes and bayous afford splendid resorts for fishing during the 
spring and summer, abounding in many varieties, and during the win- 
ter wild fowl of every kind are so abundant that they can bo bought 
for a mere trifle, the largest Mallard duck selling at ten cents, and 
brant and wild,geese at from twenty-five to fifty cents each. 

There is no section of Northern Louisiana which has been so much 
overlooked by the tide of emigrants seeking the cotton belt, and now 
that there is every assurance that 1881 will open up this section by the 
completion of the New Orleans Pacific Railway, traversing as it will 
the entire length of the parish from the southern to its northern 
boundary, we can offer better advantages for all seeking fertile lands, 
good water, good health and all the appliances of a good home than 
any other parish of the State. 

The raising of stock is cheap, and its results certain, cattle, hogs and 
sheep requiring but little care and attention, and even during the 
winter months all do well, subsisting on the natural and abundant re- 
sources of our forests. 

Here cotton and woolen factories would yield magnificent returns 
from their investment, as all the supplies would be at their very doors 
and ready transportation would be afforded their surplus productions 
to the market at New Orleans and the Western cities. Previous to the 
civil war but little attention was paid to the cultivation of fruit, but 
there has always been an abundance of peaches of the largest and 
most delicious quality I have ever seen in any section, and all these the 
simple products of the seed. 

But now a better spirit prevails and a taste for diversified fruit culture 
has been developed, and the apple and pear are seen on every side, and 
so far the climate proves auspicious of their very successful culture, 
and with proper care and a practical experience in the care of the 
orchard large rewards may be reasonably expected from these sources 
of industry. 

The fig is a never-failing fruit, and its quality the best, and from its 



EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH. 189 



extended cultivation and new process of drying, an industry could be 
developed which cannot but yield a splendid result. 

Churches are abundant all over this parish, and in Mansfield there 
are five already built, and another, the Episcopal, will be commenced 
in a short time. The principal Christian denominations are Baptist, 
Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic and Episcopal. There are public 
schools taught in every section, and with the small means available for 
the purpose at present the results are flattering. These schools are 
given out in the interest of both white and black, but taught sepa- 
rately. There is located at Mansfield a college for the education of 
females ; and, also, at, Keachie, northwest of Mansfield twenty miles— 
both institutions with a corps of good teachers— thus affording every 
facility for a finished course of instruction in all the departments of 
female education. 

And, now, in behalf of our people, I give to all who wish homes in 
the Southewst a cordial invitation to come ; and all we ask is not to 
come as political emisaries, to disturb us in our quiet and peaceful life, 
but come to develop our soil and its resources, and we will extend the 
hand of friendship and brotherly love, and share our land in so liberal 
a spirit that all may purchase homes for themselves and families. 



EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH. 

BY JNO. A. ALLSWORTH, BATON ROUGE. 

The parish of East Baton Bouge, lying between 30° and 31° north lati- 
tude and 90° west longitude, is situated on the east bank of the Missis- 
sippi river, and is bounded on the north by the parish of East Feli- 
ciana, east by the Amite river, south by Bayou Manchac, and west by 
the Mississippi river. It contains about 500 square miles of territory 
and about 320,000 acres of land. Of this amount about one-third is in 
cultivation ; the remainder is in pasturage or woodland. 

The city of Baton Bouge is the parish seat and the capital of the 
State. It is built, on the extreme southern point of bluff land that 
touches the Mississippi river, and which extends south from the Alle- 
ghany mountains. The State House, which was destroyed during the 
late war is being rebuilt, and our people are anticipating considerable 
accession to the population and business when it shall have been com- 
pleted 

The city of Baton Bouge was incorporated in 1820, and has a popula- 
tion of 8000 inhabitants. The parish was organized in 1811, and has 
now about 21,000 inhabitants. The government of the parish is en- 
trusted by the constitution of 1879 to ten of her prominent citizens, who 
are appointed by the Governor. The parish tax at present is eight 
mills on the dollar. 

We have in this parish two kinds of soil, one lying between the Mis- 
sissippi on the west, and the receding highlands on the east and which 
beginning at Baton Bouge extends south to Bayou Manchac. This 
soil is practically inexhaustible under proper management and com- 
prises the best portion of the sugar land of the parish. Of the land 
described in the above limit there are about 25,000 acres, of which about 
one-third are in cultivation, the remainder being pasturage and wood- 
land. The timber found here is principally cypress, gum, oak and 
many small varieties of trees. The other portion of the parish is called 
highlands, that is land not subject to inundation by the Mississippi 
Biver. The forest growth is of great variety, comprising all kinds of 
oak, gum, magnolia, poplar and beech, in various localities and in 
varying quantities, interspersed with much undergrowth. The soil is 
as various as the forest growth, ranging from poor to very fertile ; but 



UO LOUISIANA. 



under the energetic manipulation of the progressive farmer will yield 
a rich reward to the husbandman. 

Upon these lands all the staple crops are cultivated successfully, 
viz: Cotton, cane, corn, potatoes, etc. The average yield of cotton 
under the careless cultivation that it usually obtains is one- half bale per 
acre, though I have known one and a half bales to be gathered. The 
average yield of cane is about one hogshead Of sugar per acre, though 
I have known three hogsheads to be produced per acre. The average 
per acre of corn is about twenty bushels, though I have known forty 
or more being obtained. So with all productions of the soil, the maxi- 
mum amount is made according to the quantity of fertilizer and the 
quality of the brain used. The city of Baton Rouge affords a very 
limited market for the products of the parish, our principal market 
being New Orleans and the Western cities. 

There are many small streams passing through and bordering on 
the parish, which afford sufficient drainage to all its lands. They are 
the Amite, Comite, Manchac, Bayou Fountain, Ward's Creek, Monte- 
sano, White's Bayou, Cypress Bayou, Redwood, Blackwater, Sandy 
Creek and many other minor water courses. In these streams are to 
be found many kind of fish and water-fowl at the proper season. Deer 
and wild turkeys are not abundant in this parish, but quails are. All 
of these are protected by law during the season of breeding and incu- 
bation. 

The health of the parish has always been regarded good, but in the 
absence in the past of any organized boaid of health it is impossible 
to arrive at percentages. The military post located at Baton Rouge 
shows the best health record of any post in the Southwest. The city 
of Baton Rouge has been visited occasionally by yellow fever, but it 
has usually been of a mild type. It has never been epidemic in the 
parish. The thermometer rarely rises above 95°, or falls below 20° F., 
and when either extreme is reached it lasts but a few days. The lead- 
ing nationalities of the world are represented in our population, ex- 
cept the Chinese and Turk, whose presence I think would not be wel- 
comed. The English, French and German languages being spoken 
principally- the English being the language in which business is 
transacted. The general character of our people is quiet and indus- 
trious, and we would give a hearty welcome to all immigrants who are 
likewise disposed. 

There is land for sale and rent. To state prices would be difficult, as 
lands for sale are valued according to quality and quantity— whether 
for cash or on time, whether improved or unimproved, and according 
to value of improvements. But in all cases they are reasonable. For 
rent, the best lands, to which is usually attached a small cottage, can 
be had at $5 per acre. 

The principal religious denominations of this parish are the Catholic, 
Methodist, Presbyterian. Episcopalian, Baptist and Israelite. All have 
places of worship in the town and some in the various neighborhoods 
in the parish. Our educational facilities are very good. The State 
University and Mechanical and Agricultural College is located at Baton 
Rouge under the direction of an able corps of Professors, where all the 
branches of a polite and practical education can be acquired at a small 
cost. Besides we have other male and female seminaries quite ade- 
quate to the wants of the community. Our public schools are in a 
progressive condition and are supplemented in every neighborhood by 
private schools. In addition to this we have here two other State In- 
stitutions that deserve notice, viz : the Institute for the Blind, and the 
Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. The Institutions located in the 
City of Baton Rouge are in a silent and unostentatious way doing an 
immense good to those two afflicted classes, who have peculiar claims 
upon every civilized and Christian community. 



EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH. 141 



No persistent effort has been made to induce immigration, yet we 
meet new faces from the Northern and Western States and from 
Europe. These are frequently persons of property, who come to live 
amongst us, bringing their household gods, and are amongst our best 
citizens. 

Labor? Yes, we want labor, but not the heathen Chinese. We 
want the industrious white man to take up our waste places ; we want 
the industrious colored man to take up our places that are not wasted. 
In other words, we want the settler and the laborer. And now what 
inducement have we to offer to immigrants? Some have been offered, 
and I now propose others. The question, can the white man labor in 
the field the entire year ? is no longer a question witn us. But as these 
lines are intended for the information of the stranger, I will say that 
he can do so with perfect safety. It is being done every day by foreign 
as well as native born citizens. Indeed, a large portion of the cotton 
produced in this parish is the result of white labor. But the cane is 
the better crop for the white man, as field work is finished about the 
first of July, and therefore two of the hottest months are spent out of 
the field. Already one of our largest planters is preparing for the re- 
ception, and daily expectation of the arrival of ten or twelve families 
from England for the cultivation of cane. He is doing this advisedly, 
having already several families employed, an account of whose opera- 
tions is given further along. Wages for an expert field hand on sugar 
plantations is $18 per month and rations. " Where the share system is 
adopted, as on cotton plantations, the laborer gets of what he produces 
one-third and rations, or one-half and feeds himself. Good mechanics 
get $3 per day, and are in demand. 

A source of considerable profit to the planting and farming commu- 
nity is stock-raising. Though not pursued as a separate business is 
followed to some extent by every planter. It is a business in which 
nearly all is profit. Nearly every one has his herd of cattle and hogs. 
These cost nothing for the raising, except herding, marking and brand- 
ing, and this can be done without encroaching upon the time to be de- 
voted to agricultural pursuits. There is a good market for all the 
butter the good housewife can make, so that as a collateral pursuit 
stock-raising is a profitable adjunct to farming operations. 

There is probably no place in Louisiana offering greater advantages 
for the establishment of manufactories of various kinds than the city 
of Baton Kouge. Situated in a healthy locality, on land never subject 
to overflow, with a fertile country around it, lying upon the Mississippi 
Elver and connected with the vast country lying west of that river by 
the Southern Pacific Bailroad, it would seem to be marked out by 
nature for an eminent future, the realization of which is near at hand. 
Here stands the immense building of the Louisiana Penitentiary, 
within whose walls are contained the best of machinery for the manu- 
facture of woolen and cotton goods, with 200 looms and the necessary 
appliances for a complete factory. This factory can be leased on very 
favorable terms. An opportunity is here afforded to capitalists of very 
rare occurrence. The country around would furnish all the cotton 
necessary at one- half cent less than New Orleans prices, and with a 
population of 8000 inhabitants the city of Baton Kouge would fnrnish 
all the operatives necessary for a factory of 400 looms. 

There is established here a cotton seed oil mill and so lucrative has 
been the business that the proprietors are erecting additional appa- 
ratus for refining the oil. 

In iron work there is a factory engaged in the manufacture of sugar 
machinery, steam trains, evaporators, etc. 

There is room enough for several of these factories. For the support 
of the operatives engaged in these factories the country will afford an 
abundance of vegetables and fruits at reasonable prices. 



142 L0V1S1ANA, 



The facilities for reaching market with manufactured and agricul- 
tural products are unsurpassed. The parish lies for nearly forty 
miles upon the Mississippi Elver affording daily communication 
with New Orleans and the Western cities. The probability is that in a 
short time we shall be in communication with the Pacific States by the 
Southern Pacific Railroad, on the east by a short line we will strike the 
New Orleans, St. Louis and Chicago Eoad. There can be no doubt that 
the day is not distant when we shall be in communication with South- 
ern Mississippi by rail. The southern portion of the parish carries 
on an extensive trade with New Orleans by steamer across the lakes, 
up the Amite Eiver to Hone Villa ; and now that the Government has 
contracted for clearing out the Amite and rendering it fit for naviga- 
tion we will have steamers running above Hope Villa, indeed freight 
has already been landed fifteen miles above that point. Thus we have 
or are soon to have lines of communication radiating from a common 
centre— the city of Baton Eouge, through which we may send forth our 
manufactured and agricultural products and receive what we need in 
return. Whilst writing of this southern portion of our parish, this 
sketch would be incomplete without mention being made of an indus- 
try whose principal seat lies here— it is the "small sugar, planter" in- 
dustry. These "small planters" produce from ten to fifty hogsheads 
of sugar and have been so successful as to have attracted marked at- 
tention. As an instance I would mention John Picou as one of the pio- 
neers in this section in this industry. During the last ten or twelve 
years he has never produced less than two hogsheads of sugar and fre- 
quently three hogsheads per acre. This is done by thorough cultiva- 
tion and fertilization. And it should be remembered that his is high- 
land which is regarded as not being so productive as lands lying on the 
Mississippi Eiver. This industry has been very much stimulated and 
in fact built up by the use of Sharp's Evaporator in the manufacture of 
the sugar. This evaporator is the invention of one of our citizens, Wm. 
I. Sharp, who is the pioneer of the "small sugar planter" industry. 

Now, what can the share-laborer do on the large plantations ? By 
request, Mr. Gardere has furnished the following statement from his 
books as the result of white labor on his plantation : 

Chatsworth Plantation, September 14, 1880. 
Hon. Josiah Kleinpeter, Baton Rouge : 

Dear Sir— Complying with your request, I hereby give you the result 
of crops made by two white immigrants on our Chatsworth Plantation, 
on the share system— two-thirds for plantation, one-third for laborers, 
the place furnishing one team of two mules, with plows and other 
utensils necessary to work a crop : 

• Year 1877— Acreage in cane plant, 10 acres ; in corn, 15 acres. Eesult : 
7 hogsheads sugar, 8270 pounds j 38 barrels molasses, 1719 gallons ; 267 
barrels clean corn, in ears. 

It is well here to remark that the cane crop was materially injured 
by the very severe freezes of 30th November, 1877, and succeeding days. 

Year 1878 — Acreage in cane plant, 10 acres ; in corn, 15 acres. 
Eesult: 11 hogsheads sugar, 11,900 pounds; 17 barrels molasses, 742 
gallons ; 287 barrels clean corn, in ears. 

Year 1879— Acreage in cane plant, 18 acres ; in corn, 12 acres. Eesult : 
25 hogsheads sugar, 30,260 pounds; 31 barrels molasses, 1388 gallons; 
200 barrels clean corn in ears. 

This last crop was made with one team of two mules and the partner 
with the hoe, with an additional outlay of not more than $60 for extra 
hoe labor. When not occupied on their crop they worked, if needed , the 
plantation crop for same amount of wages paid to first-class laborers 
on the place. 



WEST BA TON BO UGE BABISH. US 



The same party has this year, and by himself, an acreage of 10 acres 
of plant cane and 12 acres of corn, which he has worked with one 
team, depending on hired labor for the hoeing. 

He appears to be so pleased with the practical results obtained that 
he has gone to "Whitney, in England, to induce some more of his fel- 
low-countrymen to come over on the place, to work crops on the same 
system. Yours, FERGUS GARDERE. 

I will conclude by inserting the following statement of a small 
farmer to show the result of industry and good management : 

Scott's Bluff, East Baton Rou<ve, October 20, 1880. 

In 1877 I planted two acres of Early Rose potatoes about the first of 
February, planting three barrels to the acre and manuring with 300 
pounds of cotton seed meal to the acre. They were worked once and 
dug during the first week in May and shipped to Cincinnati, O., where 
they were sold at $5 25 cents per barrel ; the yield was eighty-four bar- 
rels. The ground was planted in cotton and made something over a 
bale to the acre. 

In 1878 I planted the same ground with the same variety of potatoes, 
the same quantity of seed and the same kind and quantity of manure 
as used previous year, and with only one working it yielded thirty-six 
barrels. The price this year was much smaller than that of the pre- 
vious year, being only $2 25 per barrel. This falling off in quantity 
was caused by wet weather. The ground was planted in cotton and 
made about a bale to the acre. 

About the middle of February, 1879, I planted four acres, still using 
cotton seed meal as a fertilizer and planting Early Rose again, working 
them only once. The yield was twenty-five barrels per acre, and they 
were sold in Cincinnati at $4 per barrel. The ground was planted in 
cotton, with a prospect up to the September storm of one and a half 
bales to the acre ; as it was I did not get quite a bale. 

During the latter part of February, 1880, I planted six acres in Peer- 
less potatoes, using about four barrels per acre, put on the same kind 
of manure and worked same as in previous crops. They were dug from 
the tenth to the twentieth of May, yielded forty barrels per acre, were 
shipped to Cincinnati and sold at an average of $2 75 per barrel. I 
planted the ground in cotton and up to date have picked 1800 pounds 
seed cotton to the acre. 



WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH. 

BY A CITIZEN. 

Position and Extent.— This parish lies between the 30th and 31st de- 
grees of north latitude. It has a front of 36 miles on the Mississippi 
River, commencing at Hermitage landing at the lower mouth of Fausse 
Riviere and extending down to a point opposite the mouth of Bayou 
Manchac. It is bounded east by the Mississippi River, north and west 
by the parish of Pointe-Coupee, south and west by the parish of Iber- 
ville. Formerly it extended west to the Atchafalaya River, but by a 
vote of the people residing in the contested territory, the Grosse-Tete 
and Maringouin settlements, were permanently annexed to the parish of 
Iberville in 1858. The area of this parish is thus reduced to about 300 
square miles, and the average depth from the Mississippi River west, is 
about twelve miles. 



144 LOUISIANA. 



Settlements.— Most of the settlements are in front, and, as a general 
rule extend from the river back about three miles. Bayou Poydras runs 
out of Fausse Eiviere in the parish of Pointe-Coupee and for several 
miles is the boundary between this parish and its northern neighbor. 
The lands along this bayou are among the most fertile of the parish 
and are cultivated by some of the best inhabitants of this community. 

Cleared and Timbered Lands.— The cleared lands in cultivation and 
susceptible of immediate cultivation, cover about one-fourth of the 
area of the parish. The balance is more or less heavily timbered with 
cypress, ash, oak, gum, elm, hackberry, cottonwood and willows. 

Soil— The soil is all alluvial and consequently level, the only excep- 
tions being two Indian mounds on Lake Clause at the upper end of the 
parish. 

Drainage.— The natural drainage of the land is from front to rear 
and from the upper to the lower end of the parish. The main bayous 
or natural drains run generally from north to south, and empty into 
Bayou Plaquemine, one of the outlets of the Mississippi river, now 
closed near its source. These bayous, owing to the impoverished 
condition of the people since the war, have not received the attention 
they deserved, If they were kept open, and a free current allowed to 
circulate without obstruction, they would afford ample means of drain- 
ing all the tillable lands of the parish. 

Staples.— The staples of the parish are sugar, cotton and corn. 
Sweet and Irish potatoes are raised more for home consumption th;in 
for shipment to market. Lately, however, planters have been quite 
successful with early crops of the Irish potato, which, when planted in 
January and February, may be gathered in May, shipped West and 
sold at from $5 to $7 per barrel. The yield in rich and well prepared 
ground being from ten to twenty-five barrels for one of seed. On the 
same land other crops may be planted, such as sweet potatoes, corn 
and peas. A second crop of Irish potatoes is often very productive 
when planted in August. 

Sugar.— The main crop is sugar. The largest crop ever made was in 
1861 ; it reached 24,697 hogsheads, averaging 1200 pounds, equal in 
weight to 29,636,400 pounds. The molasses from the sugar amounted 
to 1,668,025 gallons. It is difficult to estimate the proceeds of the sale 
of that crop. Most of it was consumed in the Southern States, owing 
to the blockade of our ports by the Federal navy and the interception 
of all communication with the Western States. But such a crop would 
have realized in 1879, in sugar at 8 cents per pound— the average 

pric?. . $2,370,912 00 

In molasses, at 35 cents per gallon, the average price 583,808 75 

Total... $2,854,720 75 

The crop of 1879 was 5800 hogsheads, equal to 6,960,000 pounds, at 8 
cents per pound, say, $556,800 ; molasses, 522,000 gallons, at 35 cents 
per gallon, say, $182,700; total, $739,500; showing a difference between 
the crops of 1861 and 1879 of $2,115,220 75. The entire crop in the sugar- 
growing portion of Louisiana in 1861 was 459,410 hogsheads That of 
1879 was 169,972 hogsheads. The difference between the two, 289,438 
hogsheads. In money, the deficiency amounts to $27,786,048, calcu- 
lating the sugar at 8 cents per pound ; add to this the value of the mo- 
lasses, say, $6,853,722 75, and the total deficiency is $34,639,770 75. How 
much would this money contribute to the general prosperity of the 
country if it were once more realized from one of our agricultural 
staples is a question which should be solved in truth and candor by the 
friends of sectional agitation. 



WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH. 1^5 



If there exists any falling off in the proportion of production, it is 
due to the same cause that have operated alike in the other parishes. 
1st. The disorganization of labor. 2d. That during the war the Chism 
and Robinson levees, the largest in the parish, were cut by Federal 
forces, and were not rebuilt until 1866. thereby throwing out many of 
the most valuable plantations; which, with the exceptions of two— 
Allendale and Westover— have not been restored to their original pro- 
ductive capacity. 3d. That during the war the upper part of the parish, 
from Hermitage down to Lobdell's Store, a distance of ten miles, was 
laid waste by the Federal army besieging Port Hudson, and through 
both these latter causes a deficiency exists to-day of 5300 hogsheads in 
production. 4. That with the insecurity of a Government supported by 
bayonets from 1868 to 1877, capital, with its usual and known timidity, 
shrunk from seeking an investment in Louisiana, and the means were 
wanting to a proper building up of the improvements required for a 
successful cultivation of the soil ; so that nothing but stern necessity 
of labor and economy, on the princpal of " root, hog, or die," saved the 
population from what little was left after successive years of overflow, 
the ravages of war, the greed of carpet-baggers, the corruption of offi- 
cials in all branches of a despotic Government, and the consequent 
depreciation of all values. 

The yield of the sugar cane depends mostly upon the weather. Gen- 
erally a dry season, with occasional showers in March, April and May, 
several soaking rains in July and August and a dry fall are best suited 
to successful results ; 3600 pounds of sugar to the acre have been ob- 
tained, but such a yield is much over the average. It must be a bad 
crop, however, or an extraordinarily wet season must have prevented 
the formation of saccharine matter in the juice, when cane will not 
yield from 1000 to 1200 pounds to the acre. No planter should complain 
of an average yield of 1500 to 1800 pounds per acre. At that it is a 
profitable business when conducted with economy and good manage- 
ment. In 1879 the proportion of molasses in refined and clarified 
sugars, including first, second and third qualities, was 37 gallons per 
1000 pounds of sugar: of open kettle or brown sugar the proportion 
was 75 gallons per 1000 pounds. This was throughout the State, as per 
Bouchereau's report of the Louisiana sugar crop. 

During the present year (1880) the acreage in cane is much increased, 
and if no calamity attends the planter between this and the first of 
next January, the yield will no doubt be very large. Several planta- 
tions have within a few years adopted the latest improvements - in the 
manufacture of sugar. There are now six steam trains with vacuum 
pans in the parish. Coal is used for fuel to a great extent by those 
whose estates front on the river. It is cheaper than wood, not because 
the latter is scarce, but because the expense of cutting and hauling the 
same is greater. The price of wood varies from $2 to $3 per cord ; that 
of Pittsburg coal from 30 to 35 cents per box or barrel. Two able- 
bodied and industriaus men, with two good mules or horses, a cart, a 
double plow and two single plows could easily cultivate twenty-five 
acres of cane, and make sufficient corn and provender to feed their cat- 
tle. Proprietors are disposed to furnish the land or rent the same at 
reasonable prices, say from $3 to $5 acre, qrind the crop on shares, say 
for one-third or one-half thereof, or buy the cane at $4 per ton. Good 
cane should produce twenty tons to the acre, worth $80. The crop, if 
properly worked, should be laid by in June, and for three months, the 
hottest part of the year, until October, the laborer may employ his 
time in saving his fodder and hay, cleaning his ditches and making 
preparations for a fall and winter garden, or hire his time out in chop- 
ping wood or other lucrative employment, which he never fails to find, 
when known as a sober and industrious man. 

Cotton.— West Baton Rouge is south of the cotton belt proper and 
19 



146 LOUISIANA. 



therefore, the crop may not be con sidered as regular as it is a degree 
further Dorth. Nevertheless, it is cultivated where cane is not and pro- 
duces about a bale to the acre, often more, seldom less, unless worms 
and the season are exceedingly bad. There are no statistics extant to 
show the annual crop of the parish. It is about 3,000 bales of 400 
pounds each. The quality is good and is generally classed low mid- 
dling. It is mostly cultivated by small farmers and by tenants, of the 
latter class, the majority are negroes, many of whom have become 
freeholders since their emancipation. The staple is ginned in the 
parish and when baled is shipped to New Orleans by the owner if he be 
a planter; by the middle man, the country merchant, who furnishes 
the necessary supplies and provisions to the tenant during the work- 
ing season. The average price of cotton last season was about 11 to 12 
cents. 

Corn.— It is raised by all planters and tenants. In new land it pro- 
duces very large crops, 75 bushels to the acre, the yield generally is 
from 20 to 40 bushels, according to the land, culture and season. Corn 
raised here is more wholesome than that brought from the Western 
States. Stock fed on it is rarely, if ever made sick ; whereas, western 
corn often produces colic with mules and horses, resulting in loss. 
The seed is sown from the 20th of February to the 1st of May. But 
late corn planted in June and July often does as well, much depends 
upon the season. If the soil is kept loose and well pulverized at the 
roots, and thrown up in hills at the foot of the stock, it will never suffer 
from drought and never fire. 

Cow Peas.— These are planted in corn lands about the middle of May. 
The vines run over the ground and cover it by the month of August 
with a thick foliage, so dense and runners so thick that the rays of the 
eun never penetrate. In September and early in October these vines 
and leaves are cut or raked up, and after several days of exposure and 
drying are housed or stacked for hay. It makes a healthy feed for 
stock ; they keep fat on it during the winter and relish it to the end. 
The culture of the pea has another advantage. It renews the ground 
and returns to it all the nutritious substance taken from it by the sugar 
cane, the cotton or corn stock. Hence it is considered to be the best, 
cheapest and most reliable fertilizer. 

.Rice.— There is no rice raised in this parish. No reason exists why 
it should not be grown here as profitably as in the parish of St. James. 
West of this parish, on Bayou Grosse-Tete, a large crop was planted on 
one of the Citizens' Bank plantations. The tenant is very confident 
that the yield will be good and the quality excellent. 

Vegetables.— There is no vegetable that does not grow luxuriantly in 
the soil of this parish. Weeds are the only drawback ; they will out- 
grow the vegetables unless kept down by the careful gardener. Two 
crops of Irish potatoes, one of sweet potatoes, two crops of carrots, 
beets, parsnips, salsify, cabbages, turnips and spinach may be raised ; 
the first from February to June ; the second from August to November. 
One crop of melons, pumpkins, cashaws, cucumbers, squash, onions, 
garlick, leaks, artichokes, ground artichokes and pinders can generally 
be depended upon. Several crops of green peas and all kinds of beans 
may be raised in succession during the year. It is stated that in the 
near future the New Orleans and Shreveport Bailroad, now in process 
of construction, will pass througn the central portion of the parish. 
If so, the day is not far distant when it may become one of the garden 
spots destined to supply the great West with early vegetables of all 
kinds. 

Fruits.— The peaches grown in this parish in ante-bellum times were 
certainly as large, juicy and sweet as could be found in any country. 
The best trees are those that grow here from the stones, or are grafted 
or budded at home. They are more durable, healthier, more vigorous* 



WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH. 147 



less subject to"disease and insects and bear finer fruit. Those trans- 
planted from Northern or Western nurseries usually die in the course 
of three to five years. 

The strawberry, the dew and blackberry produce in great abun- 
dance— thu latter grow wild. The former needs cultivation, otherwise 
the rank growth of weeds and grass will smother it, 

It is rather too warm for pears and apples. There are orchards, 
however, with trees twenty years old— the pear usually bearing with 
regularity, if not reaching the perfection of ripeness which the fruit 
acquires in more northern latitudes. The ordinary plum and the Japan 
plum tree thrives well. It is perhaps too cold for oranges ; unless the 
young trees are protected for four or five years after their growth, 
they are apt to be frozen down to the ground every winter. But as 
cold never penetrates deeper than from two to three inches, they in- 
variably sprout up from this roots the next spring. There are trees 
over twenty years of age in the parish bearing from 1500 to 2000 
oranges each— in quality and sweetness as good, if not better, than 
the West India orange.' 

As for figs, they thrive without protection ; no crop is more certain, 
no fruit better suited to the consumption of the human family— in this, 
that it cannot be eaten unless when perfectly ripe, and becomes dis- 
tasteful as soon as it commences to sour. It is delicious, and may be 
eaten in abundance without danger. 

Nuts.— The richest and most delicate nut in the world is the pecan. 
The tree reaches an enormous size, its trunk measuring fifteen feet in 
circumference, its height reaching one hundred and twenty-five feet, 
its shade at noon day covering a circle of one hundred andfifteen feet 
in diameter. For grandeur and magnificence it is the peer among the 
many fine specimens of vegetation in Louisiana. It will bear the 
seventh year after its growth, very few nuts at first, but increasing an- 
nually. They were in great demand immediately after the war and sold 
for high prices. A planter in this parish sold for $500 worth of pecans in 
1865, gathered from thirty odd trees. One tree bore five barrels, which 
sold for $35 per barrel. The same pecans last season brought from $12 
to $15 per barrel. 

Stock and Poultry.— Considering the little care that is taken of stock, 
it is surprising that it should increase as it does. Few indeed have at- 
tempted to improve the breed. Cows and their calves, even in the 
winter time, are rarely fed. In the fall of the year, generally not be- 
fore December, cold weather does but little damage to vegetation. 
The usual length of winter is from December 1st to the 15th of Febru- 
ary. During these months cattle require but very little feeding, they 
find sustenance on the fat accummulated in the preceding autumn. 
If the planter resides in near proximity to a cane-break, where switch- 
eane grows wild or where his stock may range in the open woods, then, 
he may be certain that at the approach of spring they will return with- 
out losing a pound of flesh. Beef cattle, grass fed, three to four years 
old are worth from $15 to $22, and from two to three years old, from $5 
to $15 per head. 

Sheep require more eare, they are subject to foot rot in wet seasons, 
and occasionally to distemper. Flocks increase, nevertheless, with 
great rapidity, where they are protected from famished dogs, the ine- 
vitable companion of the negro. 

No better horses are raised than those that are bred here. They are 
less subject to disease than Western or Northern horses ; they stand 
the heat of the climate better; they live to be fifteen or twenty years 
old, render good service and require less grain as food than horses of 
foreign birth. Their powers of endurance cannot be excelled. 

Hogs, particularly tne Berkshire, do remarkably well. They are not 



U8 LOUISIANA. 



raised for market, but for home consumption. They are the great 
scavengers of the stable lot. 

Poultry are usually very healthy, chicken-pox being the disease from 
which they suffer most. If they are allowed to roost on trees in the 
open air, at all seasons of the year, they will be almost free from lice. 
Eggs sell from 8 to 25 cents per dozen, spring chickens from 15 to 30 
cents per head, grown hens from 25 to 50 cents, according to supply and 
demand 

There is a wide field for improvement in the raising of stock and 
poultry. Few have directed their attention to that specialty. 

Timber.— The field for speculation in lumber is open to the capitalist 
familiar with the business. From June until December the s vamps 
are sufficiently dry to admit of hauling with the aid of ox teams and 
timber wheels. From February until May, when the crevasse water 
inundates the swamp, it is sufficiently deep to admit of floating the 
timber. Portable saw-mills might be constructed at convenient points. 
Lumber is in great demand, and none equals that made from cypress 
for building purposes. It is worth from $15 to $30 per 1000 feet, accord- 
ing to quality. Cypress staves for barrels and hogsheads, shingles and 
three-foot boards, pieux or pickets are always in demand and com- 
mand good prices. Their quality and durability are superior to those 
made of any other kind of timber. When the Southern Pacific Kail- 
road shall open communication between the Mississippi river, the in- 
terior of Texas and the Great West, these timbered lands, now almost 
valueless, will become indispensable for the improvement of these im- 
mense and fertile prairies, almost destitute of timber. None of these 
lauds belong to the Federal or State government; they are the prop- 
erty of individuals, and may be purchased now at from $1 to $10 per 
acre. Ash is very abundant in the swamps, and when sawed into lum- 
ber for flooring and properly seasoned has no superior for beauty and 
durability. 

Population.— The population of West Baton Rouge is 7257, according 
to the census just taken. The increase since 1870 is 58 per cent. The 
white population is estimated at 2250 ; the colored at 5007. The bulk 
of the whites are of French descent, but the English language is 
understood and spoken by all. There are comparatively few foreign- 
ers ; nor are there many settlers from adjacent States. Two planta- 
tions, cultivated in sugar, are successfully worked by managers and 
overseers from this parish, although owned by a Cincinnati merchant, 
Mr. James H. Laws. 

Religion. -The prevailing religion is the Roman Catholic. There are 
two churches of this denomination: one at Wall's Landing and the 
other at Brute Landing. The first is about seven miles above the 
Court-House, and the second five miles below. There was an Episco- 
pal church at Lobdell's Store, twelve miles above, but it was burnt 
some years ago and never was rebuilt. Service is often read at the 
Masonic Hall, at Port Allen, by ministers of the different Protestant 
sects from Baton Rouge. A fund is now being raised for the erection 
of an Episcopal church at Port Allen. 

Taxation.— The taxes for 1880 in the parish will be as follows, to- 
wit: State 6, parish proper 10, special levee 3|, court-house 5— total 24£ 
mills— on a total assessment of $1,040,000. This assessment is low com- 
pared with the gross proceeds of the crops as heretofore given. 

ScJlooIs.— The State levies a tax of one mill on all property subject to 
taxation for educational purposes, and authorizes the parishes to levy 
as much more. The State tax is distributed pro rata, according to the 
number of educational children in each parish. The parish tax is col- 
lected for the benefit of the schools in the parish. It is the same with 
the poll tax of $1.00 due by each citizen entitled to vote. There are 
1992 children in the parish between the ages of 6 and 21, of which 407 



WEST BATON BOTJGE PABISEX. I49 



are white males, 392 white females, 612 colored males, and 581 colored 
female^. The white and colored children are educated in separate 
schools by tacit consent. The school sessions have averaged eight 
months during the year since the inauguration of the Nicholls govern- 
ment in 1877. The average attendance this last year per month 395 in 
the colored and 213 in the white schools. The salary of teachers varies 
from $30 to $40 per month. There are besides three private schools in 
the parish. 

Finances of the Parish.— The finances of the parish are under the 
control of the Police Jury. The municipal indebtedness of the 
parish amounts to about $12,000. Good feeling, and good under- 
standing exists between both classes of the population. A case 
of political or other bull-dozing is unknown in the parish. Laborers 
are paid with the greatest regularity, and many who had been allured 
by the promises of a Kansas el dorado, have returned, satisfied they 
could no where do better than in West Baton Bouge. 

Wages.— Field laborers are paid from $15 to $20 per month, and their 
services are usually paid for the year. It is customary to retain a cer- 
tain percentage of the wages on each monthly payment as security 
against any disposition to break the contract. These wages remain 
unchanged until the grinding season commences on the sugar planta- 
tions, when they are increased from twenty-five to fifty cents per day, 
and so remain until the crop is ground into sugar. On cotton farms 
wages are usually less, say from $10 to $15 per month, until cotton 
picking commences. Then the laborers are paid from 50 cents to $1 
per 100 pounds of cotton in the seed picked. 

The wages of mechanics vary from $1 50 to $5 per day, according to 
their trade. If the present crop (1880) of sugar and cotton is as re- 
munerative as it promises to be, the demand for skilled labor will be 
great, both during the grinding season and next year. 

Jlentpf Lands.— Lands may be rented at from $2 50 to $5 per acre. 
It may also be cultivated on shares with the owner, who is always will- 
ing and ready to furnish every facility to an industrious, honest and 
sober man. 

Price of Lands. — The price of land varies according to locality and 
the disposition of the owner to sell or not. Lands are greatly depre- 
ciated in value for the present. At sheriff's sale 500 acres of land, of 
which 140 were cleared and fronting on the Mississippi Kiver, and the 
balance well timbered in ash, gum and cypress, but subject Jto over- 
flow from the Morganaa crevasse, sold for $2500 cash. A small tract 
of land lately sold at public auction at the rate of $25 25 per acre on a 
credit of twelve months, with 8 per cent (conventional) interest from 
day of sale. Before the war cultivable lands were worth from $50 to 
$125 per acre, and good swamp lands from $10 to $30. 

Water.— The most wholesome is rain water. Lumber sells at reason- 
able prices and good cisterns are easily procured. They may also be 
built of brick in the ground and cemented. The Mississippi Biver 
water is also very extensively used, it is certainly very wholesome when 
filtered. Filtering is obtained in various ways. Stones cut for that 
purpose are used, small quantities of powdered alum will clarify the 
water, charcoal or the kernel of peach stones will produce the same 
effect. Well water is very cool and clear and found within ten feet of 
the surface, but it is generally distasteful in alluvial soil and is devoid 
of that softness which makes rain water so desirable for drinking as 
well as washing purposes. 

Climate.— It is not often that the thermometer in the open air goes 
down to 20 degrees above zero F. It went down as low as 18 degrees 
on the night of the 29th of December, 1876, and as low as 15 degrees on 
the 26th to 27th of December. It is as low as it has been since the win- 
ter of 1823. Last winter (1879-80) was so mild that peach and plum 



160 LOUISIANA. 



trees bloomed in January, and clover covered the soil with its carpet 
of green. During the summer the mercury seldom goes above 90 de- 

frees. Once it rose to 94 degrees during the present summer (1880). 
'rom the 20th of June to the 25th of August, between 10 o'clock a. m. 
and 4 o'clock p. m. it stood between 80 and 90 degrees, seldom over 88 
degrees. In the morning between the break of day and sunrise it 
stood during the same period of time between 60 and 74 degrees. 

The rainy season usually sets in about the 1st of December and lasts 
without regularity until February. Last year the winter months were 
remarkably dry— so much so, that the planters ploughed and prepared 
their ground and planted their cane crops in January and the begin- 
ning of February. Spring showers but seldom fail, with occasional 
heavy rains in April. The months of May and June are dry, July and 
August are showery, with heavy rains in September; October and No- 
vember are dry. 

Chills and fever are common during the summer months, and par- 
ticularly in August and September. They are produced by malaria, 
excessive heat and moisture combined, are easily controlled and sel- 
dom degenerate into bad cases of liver complaint when the patient re- 
ceives good attention and is well treated. 

Hygienic precautions, on the principle that an ounce of prevention 
is better than a pound of cure, should be observed, particularly by 
those who are not to the majuor born. Moisture and heat produce very 
debilitating effects upon the system. Hence, during the autumn and 
winter months, nutritious food is required, as in more northern cli- 
mates, to supply caloric by adding fat to the tissues. But the orange 
ripens in October and November, and nature indicates that it is the 
fruit whose acid is required for that season. The raw juice from the 
sugar cane is also very wholesome ; for, in spite of the enormous quan- 
tity that is swallowed by children and field hands, it was never known 
to disagree with any one. Fall and winter vegetables, such as pump- 
kins, cashaws, turnips, sweet potatoes, with milk and buttermilk as a 
beverage, should supply abundantly all the wants of the inner man. 
Alcoholic liquors are never in season, unless taken in great modera- 
tion. The climate indicates that man should eschew their use. 

There are fruits ripening in succession from the beginning to the 
year's end. It is the same with vegetables. Why not use them in the 
rotation provided by nature? With early spring come the strawber- 
ries, the dew and blackberries and plums ; then follow peaches, figs, 
cantelopes and melons. Fresh beef or mutton, eggs and chickens, 
eaten at noon, should supersede salt meats from Aprii to September. 
Clabber and buttermilk are refreshing. Fat pork and whisky are not 
required. Good French claret and sauterne wine are needed here in 
summer. If used in moderation, with tea and coffee, or either (the 
latter made a la Creole), their use is a sufficient tonic to counteract the 
debilitating effects of the climate. It will be a blessing to this coun- 
try when the Pacific slope and other regions adapted to the growing of 
grapes shall produce wine in sufficient quantities to supersede the use 
of alcoholic liquors. 

The farmer or laborer from the 15th of May f o the 1st of October 
should go to his work as soon as the dawn of day permits him to see. 
He should labor until 10 o'clock ; go home— sharpen and mend his 
tools, feed, water and attend to his stock, patch up, repair and im- 
prove, with little or no exposure to the sun— take a cold shower bath 
before dinner, rub himself dry, and eat his meal without hurry ; go 
back to his out-door or field work between 3 and 4 o'clock, P. M. and 
labor until dark. He should have a light supper, should sleep in dry 
clothes, in a well-ventilated room and on a hard, moss mattress. 

If the laborer will follow this diet— never eat unless he is hungry or 
drink unless he is thirsty; never buy anything unless he has the 



EAST FELICIANA PARISH. 151 



money to pay for it— practice moderate economy— there is no county 
in the Union where his general health will be better, Done where he 
will sooner earn a competency, none where he will be more esteemed 
and respected than in West Baton Eouge. 



EAST FELICIANA PARISH. 

BY HON. H. SKIPWITH, IN NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 

This parish lays, for its whole width from east to west, broadside to 
the line of the thirty-first parallel of latitude on the north ; on the 
south it is bounded by the parish of East Baton Bouge ; on the east by 
the Amite River, and on the west by the Mississippi River and the par- 
ish of West Feliciana. Its soil was originally more fertile than that 
of any of the parishes seated between it and the Pearl River. But the 
old system of employing slave labor in felling the forests and opening 
vast fields for cultivation has seamed its once lovely face with unsightly 
scars, and to-day it is replete with more testimonies rebuking the 
generation which preceded us for its wasteful squandering of God's 
best gifts than any of the parishes I have visited. The old fields, 
yielded back to the wilderness from which they were once reclaimed, 
are the testimonies alluded to; numerous though these unsightly 
ghosts be of agricultural wealth which has temporarily departed, sad 
as is the train of reflection which they suggest, the picture is not 
hopelesslv desolate to one like myself, who has always hoped to see 
the splendid reserve of white muscle and skill brought up s i';arely to 
the rescue. 

A soil which, though much enervated by maltreatment, has not failed 
altogether of its productiveness; and on the stiff red clay substratum 
of which agricultural triumphs may yet be accomplished by th« skill 
and perseverance of a kindred race across the water, which will be 
sure to come to cast in its lot with its brethren in the New World. 
When they come, and lam sanguine that the day of redemption is 
dawning, they will find a warm welcome in the bosom of a community 
plain, primitive, abounding in deeds of hospital entertainment, and, 
after free interchange of views with many leading citizens, I will add 
fully alive to the blessings of a comprehensive scheme of immigration 
and ready to co-operate intelligently in aid of such a scheme, by divid- 
ing up their lands into small lots of 100, 50. 40, 30 or 20 acres, to suit 
the necessities of the immigrant families as they come. In most cases, 
as a free gift ; in some at an almost nominal price ; and in all the trans- 
fer of the land to the new comer will be accompanied by substantial 
improvements to buildings already erected, or by liberal aid in pro- 
curing the lumber needed to build new ones. In fact, the immigrant 
who lands on these shores may rest assured that he will be provided 
with a home and plenty of land to cultivate— land, too, which, with 
good cultivation, will yield, even the most sterile spots, 500 pounds of 
seed cotton, 200 bushels of sweet or Irish potatoes, ten barrels of corn 
to the acre, with the native strength of the soil without an ounce of 
fertilizers. With a liberal appliance of fertilizers there is not a doubt 
but its productive capacity can be carried to 1500 pounds of cotton, to 
500 bushels of potatoes, and to 50 barrels of corn to the acre. 

Immigrants from Germany and Ireland there are, though few in 
number as yet, who can cite gratefully their own achievements in East 
Feliciana farming, to prove by actual works the truth of all my esti- 
mates relating to its soil. Experiments, too, with the grapevine have 
been made on a small scale, and these have fully demonstrated that 
the grape culture is admirably adapted to the soil and clfmate. and 



152 LOUISIANA. 



can be made the most profitable industry by those who understand 
the management of the vine, which is not the case with the people 
now engaged in tilling the soil. Under improved conditions the soil 
has already yielded as high as four hogsheads of sugar and fifty bush- 
els of rice on small choice lets. With plenty of corn, oats and pota- 
toes; with plentv of peas for forage, and plenty of sugar and molasses, 
which of the necessaries of life will the immigrant be forced to buy ? 
In a few years we may see him, when his descendants are working the 
farm, leaning back in hi» old arm-chair, answering my question with 
a laconic "Mini" Ask m.y old Irish friend, Mr. Bennbury, or my 
German friend, Mr. Buto,* if we won't? They know by years of ex- 
perience just how it is in East Feliciana ; and now in the calm evening 
of an industrious life they can point to the signs of substantial 
growth to vouch for the truth of their testimony. The old German 
gentleman, Mr. Buto. who is referred to above, is, besides being a 
marked instance of success in agricultural pursuits in the New World, 
a practical worker in the cause of immigration. He has recently been 
in communication with his brother in Germany, and has made ar- 
rangements for four families to come to him^ he paying their expenses 
over, which he thinks will amount to $750. In addition to these, three 
other families express a desire to come out of the same neighborhood. 
These last families he has arranged for with a large land-owner of the 
the parish, and they will probably be met with an offer of two-fifty 
acre farms each, with ten aeres cleared land, within three or four 
•miles of Mr. Buto's farm, as a free, unincumbered gift. The land set 
apart for the immigrants is about one mile distant from a saw mill. 
To encourage them to come I will state that Mr. Fritz Betz, another 
German citizen of the parish, with his three sons, will this year make 
upon lands which have been cultivated for a half century, without 
fertilizers, forty bales of cotton, and more corn, ]peas and potatoes 
than he has room to store. 

The principle of co-operation has developed in this parish to some 
extent ; but the Grange, and the Farmers' Club, and the Bee Keepers' 
Association do not seem to have a prospered or contributed much to 
prosperity, The reason why they have fallen short of the objects of 
their organization is unknown to me, unless the following pungent 
paragraph extracted from a letter to me of one of the most active 
spirits of those organizations may be accepted as the solution : "I am 
apprehensive that so long as the negro is made the prime factor in our 
agricultural pursuits, so long will enterprise be paralyzed, our fences 
rotten and overgrown with briars, our fields washed in gullies, our 
stock worn out by abuse, and our coffers empty. Three-fourths of the 
planters to-day are poorer than they were when they commenced with 
free negroes after the surrender, and the country decidedly more di- 
lapidated." A picture appealing more eloquently for new methods 
and new labor forces could mrt well be painted. A picture which, I am 
glad to say, finds a pleasant contrast in the improved methods of agri- 
culture in some neighborhoods, and especially in the eighth ward, 
where the native white race are at work developing small farms, in 
which ward I was delighted to find also a suitable house erected to re- 
ceive the machinery of a Clement attachment, which has been ordered 
from the factory many weeks since. The credit of this enterprise is 
due to Mr. J. B. Kent, an old citizen of the parish. I cannot suppress 
the hope that the old gentleman will live to reap a rich reward for his 
dash and spirit. 

Before closing a sketch already long, a few words about the senti- 
ments of the citizens of the parish relating to immigration would seem 
not out of place. One of the largest landed proprietors assured me as 
follows: "We have a very desirable section of country here to settle 
immigrants on, and will offer any reasonable inducement to have them 



EAST FELICIANA PARISH. 153 



come among us. Those who have made this their home have sup 
ceededand are satisfied." Another (Mr. A. J. NorwoS ha? Imhr ? 
ized me to offer to four good families as a gratuity a tract of two hun' 
dred acres of land, or fifty acres to each family; the land £ unim* 
proved, but ays within one mile of a saw-mill, on a public road and 
only nine miles from the town of Clinton. These inducements' will 
doubtless be made much more liberal and specific when the Grind 
^^Kl^^F^ 1 ^^ ^'^ ^ of New Orleans, shall be oreanSed 
Z^J UmC l ent Caj ^ al to conduct all the external details of a c"om fre 
hensne scheme or immigration, and when affiliated assoeiationHhal 

T . . Clinton, July 18, 18S0. 

I came in the year 1771, December 8, from Germany, where 1 used tn 
live, near the city of Dantzig, province of West Prussia Not havinS 
the money for the voyage, $500 was advanced to me by a gentleman* 
with whom I expected to live. For myself, wife and eleven ch I ,K 
the e • pensen of the trip were $450. Otherwise I left no .debt ;wh a ever 
n the old country-. The first year was rather a poor on t m ak in ® n n 
less than $1100 debts, of which I was able to pay P $910 Eesides 5ek 
ness. particularly fever, was a great drawback and expense But ont 
acclimated it is my opinion that East Feliciana parish is as heathvn 
o-n^V a f a n y wh ere, and I, as well as my whole family h av ?enfSwd 
^htV^ *. .7 e£ slD< T e - The end of the second year I Sd a7l m v 
deots, bought two mules on time and the third rear farmed nd™?7 
dently Paid ior the same mules at the end < f that yea?Sc boSSK 
two more and a wagon. Besides my ot J.er stock had increu 23 V ? bonr 
fifteenjhead of cattle and fom or fifty hogs. The fourth year T f in 
w-fo-un 1 ^i ,0 h SSessi01i ,<* about * 400 cashffour mules one horse one 
^&l^^g%Z£* SiXtY h0gS ' SOm ^ ^nty hladTf 

J^en^ 

SS lf, e -h ThG , ' nCe Wt,s ^200, in four payments I hadtolnfild a 
^a 1111 ^"- 1 r, . use ' six rooms (a frame building*, at an expense of nbnnt 
SS"t This is now the fourth year I am living on myTeadlef 
Kftrtt la - St W ent t*»to fall. I also had agKSSS bSlt 
last tall. Not having money to pay for the running gear mill oin 
stand and c-tton press, I bought the whole on credit But i? RK 
will, I shal, be entirely free of debt at the end of thisVear and be ?bfi 
to make a merrv, merry Christmas. * ' e able 

It is my opinion that an industrious laboring man in East FebViflnn 
parish will always make a good living, and that the inh?ibitant?wm 
offe, every facility for industrious people to settle among them 
Dliirtnilif *Jy aw back of this country is the cotton worm but early 
plaLting of the right kind of cotton will prevent the same do in" Sh 
damage at any time. During my stay in 1 this par ' sh the fwSSFs have 
Ipaki* m e y a e%ens e m s WOrth SPGaking ° f ' ° nly once > a » d e™°SS ytS 
.J. here ^7-^ n r vite M ^ m y industrious countrymen to come to Fast TiVii 
YonU 1 h t?Sw thEt ever > bod y will be as well satisfierf as I an ' 
xours, truly, FBEDEBICK BUTO. 

STATEMENT OF MB. THEODOR SCHUTZMANN. 

T T Clinton, July 18, 1880. 

bing J rofdUTd an^nS^n^^^^ n^on «n 
were about $250 for myself, wife and five children I too had thS 
money advanced by the same gentleman Mr?Buto staid whh. I paid 



154 LOUISIANA. 



my debts the first year, except $120. I rented two mules the second 
year, farming independently ; bought the same at the end of that year. 
In 1879 I owned three mules, one horse, a wagon, farming implements, 
some twenty-five hogs, about ten head of cattle and some 400 bushels 
corn. Debts all paid, I bought a place containing 400 acres of land, 
more or less. The dwelling house, gin, fence and other buildings were 
in very bad repair. The price of the plantation was $1500, in four pay- 
ments, and as my crop is in a very fair condition, I expect to be able to 
make two payments at once this fall. Of sickness I have had but lit- 
tle in my family, and I can but second Mr. Bute's invitation to all in- 
dustrious men. It is my firm belief that any hard-working man must 
make headway here in a few years, and possess his cwn farm. I have 
seen people leave here an go to Texas, but in a year or two came back, 
perfectly disgusted with that country. 

THEODOB SCHULTZMANN. 



WEST FELICIANA PARISH. 

BY HON. H. SKIPWITH, IN NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 

"West Feliciana is bounded for its entire width on the north by the 
line of demarkation, sometimes called Ellicott's line, which was run 
out by the commissioners of Spain and the United States strictly along 
the 31st parallel of latitude N. The Bayou Tunica, the mouth of 
which is so exactly on the 31st parallel that it was selected as the 
starting point of that historical line, flows through a small extent of 
its northern border. It is bounded on the east by the county of Wil- 
kinson, Miss. ; on the south by a stream which is* dignified oh the old 
Spanish maps with the sounding nomenclature Rio Feliciana, but 
which has been dismantled by the moderns into plain, unroniantic 
Thompson's Creek. This creek has three prongs, which reach out 
over much of the southeastern portion of the parish, which, after 
having marked their course by deep cuts through the hills and by 
long meandering deposits of sand as white as snow, and resembling 
snow-drifts, eventually effect a junction just inside the line of the par- 
ish of East Feliciana. Its western boundary is the Mississippi Biver, 
the waters of which kiss the soil of West Feliciana from the mouth of 
Bayou Tunica all the way down, for fifty miles, to the mouth of old Bio 
Feiiciana. With the fondness of a Spaniard for grandiloquence I still 
cling to the old style. 

Topography.— This parish is the smallest in territory of all the eight 
Florida parishes ; contains within its boundaries a superficial area of 
207,360 acres, which is very uneven and rolling, everywhere intersected 
by hills and valleys and' running streams, and which is again sub- 
divided into forests covering 60,000 acres, and cleared lands amount- 
ing to about 150,000 acres, of which, perhaps, about one-half is 
cultivated the present year. No part of .Louisiana is favored with 
a more complete system of natural drainage, and away up among 
the Tunica hills there are landscapes as bold and imposing in their wild 
grandeur as the average of Switzerland scenery. These Tunica hills, 
besides their romantic beauty, possess a quality of soil as attractive to 
the eye of a practical farmer (they being knobs founded upon an inex- 
haustable limestone base) as the beautiful landscapes are to the eye of 
the transient sketcher ; but even here the natural capacity of the soil. 
which is fully equal to one and a half hogsheads of sugar, to one and a 
half bales of cotton and to forty barrels of corn to the acre, is partially 
obscured by negligent or by inadequate cultivation. (I heard of no ex- 



WEST FELICIANA PARISH. 155 



periment in rice culture among the hills). Notwithstanding the ad 
niitted adaptability of the Tunica hills to the cultivation of the old 
style standards of cane, cotton and corn, the immigrant when he comes 
may— and I think he will— endeavor to apply the virtues of the lime- 
stone to orchards and vineyards, if thereby a more profitable industry 
can be evoked. Sad, indeed, are the evidences of premature decay not 
only up among the sparsely populated Tunica hills; sad, too, are the 
symptoms of decay among the parks, dwellings and gardens, and all 
the relics of architectural taste and luxury which once adorned every 
neighborhood in the parish ; very, very sad is the forlorn and castaway 
complexion of the old abandoned fields. 

Amid all these symptoms of premature decay my first impression is 
that the parish of West Feliciana "is old in youth ; is withered in her 
prime," but when I consider the condition of the crops on the small 
cultivated spots reclaimed by the cultivation from these same unprom- 
ising "old fields," I am glad to admit the conviction that the decay of 
the soil exists more in the apparent abandonment of the old fields 
than in fact; in that sign I build a sanguine hope of the cultivation of 
West Feliciana to her pristine wealth and prosperity when the time 
shall come, and come it will, and soon, when she shall be blessed with 
an adequate labor supply. Then, too, I indulge the hope that the 
conditions which have contributed to cast so sombre a hue over the 
fortunes of her once prosperous communities will be dispelled and the 
scattered remnants of her old families shall be once more reunited in 
the old bonds of neighborhood, wealth and contentment. If these 
hopes are ever realized it can only be by the restoring power of a good 
class of immigrants, and that remedy is happily not beyond reach. 
The sick communities of a parish so beautifully endowed by nature 
will soon be restored to their ancient vigor and health by the magic 
working touch of the immigrant. A strong infusion into her veins of 
healthy, fresh, industrious blood that is the remedy for all the ills of 
West Feliciana and the whole surface of the parish ; her 75,000 acres of 
unfilled old fields, which are to-day lying waste and unproductive, 
confirms the diagnosis. And it is due to the commonwealth that these 
waste and unproductive old fields should be converted into homes for 
immigrants, and a thoroughly systematized scheme of immigration 
will do it. 

The Population It Could Sustain.— It has already been said that this 
is the smallest of the Florida parishes in extent of territory; except 
the parish of East Batun Rouge, it has the largest population in pro- 
portion to area. It is therefore selected as the basis of a computation 
which mav throw some light upon the dimensions of the field for profi- 
table employment of immigrant labor, it being borne in mind that the 
fieid invariably becomes larger as the population becomes sparser. 
Let us now inquire what is the limit to the number of persons who 
may live profitably and contentedly by cultivating a given extent of 
soil. Goldsmith, a sweet poet, but rather visionary agricultural statis- 
tician, says in a sort of spread-eagle couplet : 

"A. tim* th^re -wns, <*rp England's grief degan, 
Wlien every rood of ground maintained its man." 

A lie so monstrous, although having no sponsor but a very imagina- 
tive poet, has nevertheless been mercilessly assailed by the agricul- 
tural statisticians, who maintain not only that no rood of ground ever 
yet maintained its man, but they have likewise demonstrated by arith- 
metical calculation that the famines in Ireland and the Scottish High- 
lands are traceable directly to the experiment to make ten roods main- 
tain a man ; hence they draw the inference that at a minimum limit of 
ten roods to a man a point is reached where wealth accumulates, but 
men decay; hence, too, that where there are the largest number of 
men to the smaflest number of roods there is to be found the intensest 



156 LOUISIANA. 



degree of wretchedness. Assuming now twenty roods to each man as 
the point where v/ealth accumulates fastest and men do not decay, we 
are astonished to find that the area of this, the smallest of the Florida 
parishes, offers a profitable field of labor to 30,974 immigrants. 

Keeping steadily in view consideration of soil and climate and their 
limitless capacity for diversified production, it is suggestive of wonder 
why the famine-stricken population of Ireland and the Scottish High- 
lands have not already surrendered the privilege of starving on their 
ten roods at home for twenty roods of better land in abetter climate 
and in a freer country. Is it because they lack the means of crossing 
the ocean ? Surely if they could they would come, and thereby double 
the comforts of life for themselves, and double the comforts of the 
loved ones they leave behind as well. The key to any comprehensive 
scheme of immigration will be found in the inexorable logic of the 
foregoing sentence, because it is undesirable that the change which re- 
moves the immigrant from the land ot his birth is a change replete 
with grief to him, only to be accomplished through tears and struggles. 
The last sounds from the dusky shores of his native land will be the 
wailings sent up from broken-hearted women, crowding wit covered 
heads on the outermost rocks; the last sight of his native land will be 
their tear-soil countenances. Such intensity of grief can only be faced 
by a stLong man, impelled by a strong conviction that he is leaving 
behind him chronic and hopeless misery-misery which has lasted 
from time beyond the reach of memory, and which threatens to last 
for all time to come. In that moral compulsion of the inexorable logic 
of events in the Old World lays the hidden spring which is to open 
wide the casket of immigration which is destined to double the popula- 
tion of Louisiana and clothe all her waste places with verdure. To 
such a glorious consummation is the Democrat and its corps of con- 
tributors in the parishes pressing on to-day with every nerve strained! 

Tlie Fertility and Durability of the Soil. —It would not be just to the 
amazing fertility of the soil of West Feliciana to close my sketch with- 
out a glance at the healthy condition of one of the largest and most 
productive plantations in the parish, on which there are now 1200 acres 
of cleared laud, cultivated by over 100 colored laborers, every acre of 
which is this year contribu ing its magnificent quota to tlie productive 
wealth of the State of a bale of cotton or 30 to 35 barrels of corn. The 
whole plantation has been, by good management, rescued from the 
deterioration which ensued almost universally upon the moral, social 
and political revolution which have been so rile in the last quarter of 
a century ; and it is to-day in as good heart as when the forests were 
first felled for the plow. To my amazement, while sauntering over a 
field of sixty acres, which was clear in the year of our Lord 1800, I saw 
a crop growing which promised at the least sixty bales of cotton ! It 
is owned by a" gentleman who cherished the pleasing reminiscences, 
"this is the soil which my old grandfather William Barrow, who com- 
manded a company at the capture of the fort at Baton Eouge, when 
the representative of Ferdinand VI, King of Spain, surrendered the 
King's domain of West Florida into the hands of the people of West 
Florida there assembled in mass meeting on ponies, with shotgun on 
shoulder, and who was shortly afterwards elected a member of the 
convention to which was entrusted the duty to frame a system of gov- 
ernment, and to preserve the public domain for the people of West 
Florida. This, too, is the same house in which my old grandfather 
lived and died." Living amid traditions so honorable and inspiring, 
it is no wonder that Capt. John J. Barrow, almost the last representa- 
tive of the old race, should be doing his utmost to preserve the soil and 
the dwelling of his brave old ancester from the inroads and assaults of 
Time, the Destroyer. 

An Opportunity for Immigrants.— -Not because he is pinched for 



FRANKLIN PABISK 157 



labor, but simply because he desires to place himself in line as a prac- 
tical worker in the cause of immigration, Capt. Barrow authorizes the 
following statement: Beyond the boundaries of the plantation he has 
now under cultivation he owns a tract of 750 acres, all forest land, un- 
touched by the woodman's axe. This tract he proposes to divide iuto 
twenty acre lots, and on each alternate lot he proposes to make a title 
to the head of an immigrant family for a price but little, if anything, 
in excess of the price of the Government lands, giving the immigrant 
his own time to pay the purchase price As each lot is heavily tim- 
bered with a growth of magnolia, ash, beech, poplar and white oak, it 
is highly probably taat the immigrant will be able to procure from 
his own land all the timber needed for dwellings and outhouses and 
his fences. 

Citizens' Bank Lands. — One other feature of the tenure and condition 
of West Feliciana soil is worthy of mention. Some of the largest and 
choicest bodies of land in the'parish are held by the Citizens' Bank ; 
these mortgaged lands could be made very available in promoting 
the cause of immigration. 



FRANKLIN PARISH. 

BY HON. J. C. BASKIN. 

The parish of Franklin is situated in the northeastern portion of the 
State, and is bounded on the east by Madison parish or Bayou Macon, 
on the north and west by Bichland parish, the greater pon ion of which 
belonged to this parish. The parish was organized about 1835. The 
parish site was named in honor of a distinguished citizen in this sec- 
tion of the State, Hon. Mr. Winn. The total tax is sixteen mills on the 
dollar. 

The general face of the parish is level, With an occasional elevation 
of a narrow strip of land eight or ten feet above the general surface. 
In the southwestern part there is a small portion that is prairie. The 
bottom or swamp lands lie upon the streams and are regarded as the 
most productive of our soil, producing one to one and a half bales cot- 
ton per acre in good seasons and corn and other products in propor- 
tion. The kinds of timber in abundance are oak, gum, hickory, pine, 
ash, dogwood, birch. Nearly every species of tree found in the South 
is here. 

The soil of the parish is well adapted to the growth of all vegetables 
and plants. There are as fine vegetables produced for home consump- 
tion as can be grown in any portion of the Union with little labor. I 
have lived in three States during my life, and speaking my honest con- 
victions, barring a few more chills and fever, I think the general health 
of this parish will compare favorably with that of other States re- 
garded as very healthy. Our water is all well water, which is found 
by digging from fifteen to twenty-five feet. It is pure freestone or 
mixed with lime, iron, eoperas, alum, in such quantities as to make it 
more agreeable to the palate. 

According to the enumeration just completed there are 6000 inhabi- 
tants, about equally divided between the white and colored races. 
There has been but little foreign immigration to this parish, but you 
will occasionally find some from every nationality here, prospering 
in their vocations. It only requires energy and determination on the 

gart of any new settler, coupled with temperance and sobriety to soon 
ecome independent. 
There can be bought almost any description of land here that is to be 



158 LOUISIANA. 



found anywhere in the State, and as productive. From the rich, loose 
mellow ridges, easily cultivated and paying handsome returns, to the 
rich bottom and alluvial soil, which is inexhnustible, where immense 
crops of corn, cotton, sorghum and potatoes are produced in fabulous 
quantities. Then, again, we have the rich hammock lands, only await- 
ing the axe and spade to lay bare the untold productiveness of these 
hitherto neglected mines of wealth. Then we have the piue lands, 
which are easily brought into cultivation and pay large dividends. 
This soil is more silicious than any other to be found, and quite dura- 
ble, lasting and producing fine crops for fifteen or twenty years with- 
out manure. 

In many instances lands which have reverted to the State by forfeit- 
ure for non-payment of taxes can be bought at 12.} cents to $1 25 per 
acre, as choice lands as can be desired by the most fastidious. It can 
be bought in any desired quantity, from 40 to 1000 acres. Many large 
landholders have both improved and unimproved lands that they 
would dispose of readily; improved from $5 to $15, unimproved from 
$1 to $5 per acre. Or they will give every alternate forty acres to actual 
settlers, with the privilege of purchasing as much more as they may 
wish at a stipulated sum, say $5 per acre on long credit, with 8 per cent 
interest. There is of wild or uncultivated land in the parish 32,600 
acres. There is cultivated about 6000 acres, producing 11,500 bales cot- 
ton, 10,000 bushels corn and 1500 bushels oats. The total valuation of 
property in the parish is $925,000. 

We have all the protestant denominations and a small unorganized 
number of catholics in Winnsboro. All forms of religion are tolerated 
and encouraged, and ministers of the gospel are highl3 r respected. 

Educational facilities are as good in this parish as any in the State. 
Public schools are kept open three to five months in the year. In 
most instances when the public schools close, private schools' are con- 
tinued during the remainder of the year. 

The laborers most commonly employed are negroes. As laborers they 
are very good during tne planting, working and gathering the crop, 
but almost worthless, as far as making improvements, or advancing 
their or employers' interest. White men can labor here the entire 
year with perfect safety to their health, in fact the man that works 
every day during the year with moderation enjovs a greater degree of 
health than those that only labor as necessity forces them. Labor is 
in great demand, and the supply is wholly inadequate to the demand. 
All that is required to make this the foremost parish of North Louis- 
iana is more of the hard-fisted yoemanry, to level our forests and. till 
our soil, when the whole of it would bloom as a garden. 

The cropping system is generally adherred to here. The land holder 
furnishing land, team and feed for same, with seed for planting, and 
implements for cultivation, h^ receiving one- half raised upon the land, 
and the laborer the other half. In some instances wages are paid. 
But the laborer finds it more to his personal interest and ease to work 
upon the share system, and the farmer as a general rule prefers that 
sybtem to any other, as it seems to give more satisfaction. The 
great scarcity of labor here, renders capital subservient to labor. 

There is no immigration to the parish and I feel sorry to say that 
but very little if any effort is made to secure it. Though the cry goes up 
from every quarter, why dc no immigrants come in our midst? We have 
as genial climate as can be found under the sun, we have as rich land 
as can be found in anv nortion of the south. Our market facilities are 
good, On the rorrh Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad, east 
Bayou Macon, and on the south and west we have the Tensas River and 
Ouachita River. Our people are as hospitable and generous as nature 
will sanction, we enjoy life equal to any class of people on earth, yet 
with all these many inducements we are passed by without inquiry 



GMANT PABISH. 159 

into the richness ^^^^SS^St'^JS S 

i^ffi^SIiS\ta« treasure here, and some 
enterprising spirits will seeK to '•»«"* » {• b t 1 10 an extent tha ,t 

^sg^^^^*^™ be utilized to 

any great extent. „„ if w +p fifteen acres in corn and cotton, 

L industrious man can cultivate ttteen acre fa ^ 

say seven in corn and eight in ~^' ™;* n SF h Sw much we can culti- 
The question with most farmersjim us ib i lds £Ucn band . 

lonteSnrnTa ^cf/ear^one^ooa'han^ win prodnce as much as two 

Wi lS^nts wonld do -n to give ^ Parish f ™lt b*» locatmg 

SlnT^n^ever^^aVthS wiTuCw?h d at h >fe appreciate their presence m 

our midst. 



GRANT PARISH. 

BY PROF. E. W. HTLGARD. 
Population : 6188. White 3320 ; colored 2868. in 

Irea : 642 square miles. •Woodkuid a ^^t loug^eaf pine hills, 

Grant is one ot the fw pans es m u i ts soils are more varied 
tions of the t^^f^^^S^noiVSembmBBB a. small 
than is the case in the latter ' P^" sn > . " a X , of the "central prairie re- 
portion of the Bed River bottom « in d al soon cnaracter to those 
^ion," the rest being long-leaf pine ^^^Jrol lowlanda resembling 
lio^nSSa^m^^^Sisn^id timbered with short-leaf 

pi Sr:5ie^£stSn^ortion of the parish the faeetf ^°gg£ to 
largely level the soil ™nsistmg W.^.^Jl^J^f JStly 'ot'small, in- 
with post oak and short-leaf pine ( no* ,J ai e i th V timberless, or only 

SJISSS5S SISBSfc?^ o"x ^^much settled as 

their intrinsic fertility w ould warra nt - d b a huram ock or 

Little River is skirted mostly on its ™£* n d ^ 8 / and above over- 

^S^S&FSM? Sealrsl at all times of the year, to 
^nipinenfs ^Se^Bed River steamers Cor occasionally on Little 

River) to New Orleans. 



160 LOUISIANA. 



IBERIA PARISH. 

NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 

The parish'of Iberia is situated in the southern portion of the State, 
about midway between its eastern and western boundaries. It occu- 
pies an area of about 5.-t6 square miles, and has for its boundaries on the 
north the parishes of St. Martib and Iberville, on the east the parish 
of Assumption, on the south the parish of St. Mary and Vermilion Bay, 
and on the west the parishes of Vermilion and Lafayette. The popu- 
lation is largely composed of the descendants of the original French 
settlers, and in some parts of the parish it is somewhat difficult, even 
at this late day, to make one's self understood in the English language. 
The population at the present time is about 10,000, with about an equal 
proportiou of whites and blacks. 

Climate and Health..— The climate of this section of the State is, in 
every sense of the word, delightful. Being located between Grand 
Lake oq the east and the waters of Vermilion and Cote Blanche bays 
on the south, an even temperature is constantly maintained at most 
seasons of the year and the atmosphere rendered pure and salubrious. 
There are no drouths of sufficient duration to materially affect the 
crops, nor are the rains excessive. The healthfulness of this region is 
concecled t to be fully equal to that of any other part of the Union, not 
excepting even the famous highlands of" Tennessee and Virginia. The 
average of human life is claimed to be longer here than in any other 
portion of the United States, the inhabitants being less subject to lung 
affections, while typhoid fever is literally unknown. 

The S"il is principally alluvial and very fertile, beincj' adapted for the 
cultivation of a great variety of crops. On the Bayou Teche, which 
parses through the eastern* portion of the parish, the lands are re- 
markably productive and extensively cultivated in sugar cane, while 
on the west and northwest of New Iberia will be found undulating 
prairie lands, with a grayish yellow soil, good naturally, and improv- 
ing with use. In fact, with the exception of a comparatively small 
portion of wooded swamps lying along Grand Lake and coast marsh 
on Vermilion Bay, the entire parish may be said to be capable of suc- 
cessful and profitable cultivation. Even the coast lowlands are valua- 
ble in some instances, being intersperced with numerous small islands 
where rice, oranges, bananas, figs, etc., may be successfully cultivated, 
and where there are an abundance of game and fish to be had. Here 
also is located the famous Avery salt mine, on Petit Anse Island, 
where the finest of salt is obtained in unlimited quantity. 

About two-thirds of the parish is praiiie, while the remainder is well 
supplied with a variety of useful and valuable timber. Alony the 
margin of the lakes and water courses may be found a variety of oaks 
and gums, hickory, cypress, ash, magnolia, elm, cotton-wood, dogwood, 
locust, etc., but the difficulty of procuring a convenient supply of 
suitable timber for fencing purposes has heretofore been regarded as a 
serious disadvantage to the country. The introduction of wire fencing 
will, in time, obviate this drawback, being more readily available, and 
under the circumstances more economical in the end than enclosures 
of wood. 

There is scarcely any portion of the State that is more amply sup- 
plied with water facilities than this. In addition to the Bayous Teche, 
Petit Anse and Cypremort and the Lakes Fausse Point. Chicot and a 
portion of Grand Lake, there are numerous other bodies of water of 
more or less importance. The Teche is navigable at all seasons of the 
year, and the Petit Anse may be navigable as his'h up as the salt 
mines by such vessels as are able to cross the bar. Water for drinking 
purposes is generally obtained b} r means of cisterns, although an 



IBERIA PARISH. 161 



abundance of water for watering stock and other domestic purposes 
may be had by digging weils at from almost any point. 

Field Crops and Their Yield,.— Cotton, one-half bale per acre; sugar, 
one to two hogsheads; molasses, one and one-half to three barrels; 
corn, eighteen to twenty bushels; rice, twenty-five to thirty barrels; 
potatoes, from one hundred and fifty to two hundred bushels. Other 
field crops also yield large returns. 

Price of Lands.— The only public lands subject to entry under the 
homestead act or to purchase from the State are located on the lakes, 
bayous and coast, and are classed as swamp lands. Piivate lands of 
excellent quality can be had in other portions of the parish at prices 
ranging from $2 50 to $30 per acre. Improved lands can be rented for 
cash or upon shares. The money valuation will range from $1 50 to 
$3 per acre. Any tenant almost can readily make arrangements to 
furnish fencing in lieu of rental, upon favorable terms, or similar 
agreements may be entered into for drainage or ditching. 

Churches and Schools.— The dominant religion of the parish is Cath- 
olic, the population, as already stated, including a large French speak- 
ing element. There are also congregations of Episcopalians, Baptists 
and Methodists scattered through the country, all of which are sup- 
plied with suitable places for public worship. The school system is 
about on an equality with that in operation elsewhere throughout the 
State. 

Labor and Wages.— The parish of Iberia is fortunate in possessing a 
reliable and contented class of laborers, although the supply at the 
present time is not equal to the demand. These laborers are about 
equally divided between the white and colored races, but preference 
will always be given to white men; provided they are equal in other 
rpspects. Chinese labor is not desirable under any circumstances. 
The sugar planters, as a general thing, employ their hands by the 
mouth and pay wages, ranging from $15 to $20, with house rent, fuel 
and rations. Extra hands receive even better wages than the above 
at certain seasons of the year. Cotton # and corn planters generally 
adopt the share system, allowing on^-th'ird of the crop where they are 
required to furnish everything, and one-half where the tenant sup- 
plies bis own teams, implements, etc. The working of plantations on 
shares may therefore be regarded as the common custom of the coun- 
try at the present time. 

Stock Raising.— The abundant supply of luxuriant and nutritious 
grass, and the mildness of the climate, render this a favorable region 
for raising stock. Besides cattle and sheep, many persons are en- 
gaged in raising horses and mules, for which business there is an ex- 
tensive field for development. The country in those sections where 
the mast is abundant is well adapted to raising hogs. 

Cities and Towns.— The principal city or town of the parish is New 
Iberia, which is located on Bayou Teche, and contains an estimated 
population of about 2700 inhabitants. It is thoroughly drained, is 
regularly laid out and well governed. It contains two convents, an 
academy or college and four public schools, all of which are well at- 
tended. The city is well supplied with churches and other public 
buildings, the inhabitants are orderly and industrious, and the im- 
provements now in progress indicate considerable prosperity. The 
city now boasts of three weekly newspapers— the Louisiana Sugar Bowl, 
the Iberia Journal and Iberia Star. Jeannerette is a thriving town on 
the Morgan Kailway, and several other prosperous settlements scat- 
tered throughout the parish might with propriety be termed villages. 
21 



162 LOUISIANA 



Sundry Industries.— There are several good saw- mills in operation 
throughout the parish, but room for more. The parish is also supplied 
with an iron foundry, an ice factory, a cotton seed oil factory, two 
brick factories, a number of cooper shops and a tannery, all of which 
are doing a remunerative business. There is a good opening here for 
the employment of capital in a cotton factory, shoe, harness and sad- 
dle factory, a wagon factory, and in honey making, poultry raising and 
dairying in all its branches. With an abundance of the raw materials 
at hand and ample facilities in the way of water and fuel, there is no 
reason why manufacturing may not be successfully engaged in, and 
thereby retain vast sums of money that are annually sent abroad to 
purchase articles that might readily be produced at home. 

Market Facilities. — The nearest important market is New Orleans, 
which may be reached by both rail and water— the railway time being 
about seven hours by the passenger schedule. By this means they 
would be able to reach the foreign as well as New Orleans markets 
with their early fruits and vegetables, a business to which some atten- 
tion has already been devoted and which is capable of being expanded 
indefinitely. 

Fruits and Vegetables.— Peaches, oranges, pears, plums, figs, grapes, 
quinces, and in short most of the semi-tropical fruits grow to perfec- 
tion in all parts of the parish. In the matter of vegetable it would be 
next to impossible to mention any variety that will not thrive in Iberia. 
In fact, the whole parish is susceptible of being converted into one 
grand garden, where the most delicious vegetables may be grown all 
the year round. In addition to the fruits above enumerated may be 
mentioned the pecan nuts, cherries, bananas, pomegranates, persim- 
mons, strawberries, blackberries, mulberries, currants, etc., all of 
which do well and are more or less cultivated for private consumption 
or for market, Melons are produced in great abundance, and are of a 
quality unsurpassed elsewhere. 

Bee and Silk Culture.— As in most of the parishes of Louisiana, silk 
culture may be profitably engaged in here, where the mulberry tree 
grows to great perfection ; so also the great abundance of wild flowers 
scattered over the broad prairies renders the care of the honey-bee a 
source of profft, as the industrious little workers can gather their har- 
vests all the year round. These two industries must in time attract a 
large share of attention in this as well as in other portions of the State. 

State of Society.— The people of Iberia are noted for their hospitality, 
and in point of morality will favorably compare with those of any 
parish in the State. In no portion of the Union can there be found at 
the present time a more orderly or law-abiding people than than those 
of Iberia. Although no formal effort has yet been made to organize 
an immigration society, the people are becoming thoroughly aroused 
as to the importance of the movement, and new-comers who visit them 
for the purpose of selecting homes may rely upon being kindly and 
hospitably received. 

Bod and Gun. — During the winter season this section of the State 
offers rare inducements to sportsmen, and many persons are in the 
habit of coming here from the Northern States to amuse themselves 
at the expense of the wild animals that abound in the dense forests 
and the fish and water fowl that may be found in unlimited quantity 
and variety along the various lake's and water courses. The fish 
caught in the lakes, bays and bayous are highly prized fer their deli- 
cate flavor, while the wild fowls include a great variety of ducks, 
goose, woodcock, snipe, etc. 



JAGKSON PARISH. 163 



IBERVILLE PARISH. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population : 17,544. White, 4784 ; colored, 12,760. 

Area : 646 square miles. Woodland, all. Alluvial throughout. 

Tilled land: 42,122 acres. Area planted in cotton, 771 acres; in corn, 
11,991 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 52 acres ; in sugar cane, 16,687 acres. 

Cotton production : 579 bales ; average cotton product per acre, 0.75 
bale, 1071 pounds seed cotton or 357 pounds cotton lint. 

Iberville parish lies between the Bayou Grosse Tete and the Missis- 
sippi River on the east, and the upper Grand River and its chain of 
lakes and bayous bordering the parish of St. Martin on the west. It 
is wholly alluvial ; belts of cultivutible and highly productive lands lie 
along most of the bayous to the depth of one-half to two miles, espe- 
cially in the northern portion, those along Bayous Grosse Tete, Marin- 
guin and Deglaize. Between the Grosse Tete and Maringuin there is 
an extensive swamp, occupying nearly the whole space between them, 
just north of Grand River. A similar swamp extends between the 
Maringuin and Deglaize, from the northern boundary of the parish 
to Lake Oksibe. The lands lying on the forks of Alabama Bayou, and 
between them and Grand River, are also occupied by plantations. 

In the southern part of the parish, along lower Grand river and its 
tributaries, bayous Pigeon and Sorrel, the lands have been partially 
cleared, and are of fine quality, but the overflows prevent their occu- 
pation to a great extent. Bayou Plaquemine, connecting Grand River 
with the Mississippi, is a large, navigable stream, and is thickly set- 
tled along both of its banks. The court-house town of Plaquemine has 
a flourishing business in the shipment of agricultural produce and 
(cypress) lumber. 

The "coast" of Iberville is remarkable for the highly improved con- 
dition and great extent of its plantations, there being many handsome 
residences, surrounded by parks of live oak and pecan trees. Cleared 
lands lie also along Bayou Goula and Manufactory Bayou, extending 
back almost to Lake Natchez, by which they are thoroughly drained. 

There are 15,556 hogsheads of sugar produced in the parish, and 
11,171 barrels of rice. 



JACKSON PARISH. 

BY HON. N. M. SMITH, VERNON. 

Is bounded on the north by the parish of Lincoln, on the west by 
the parish of Bienville, on. the south by the parishes of Winn and 
Caldwell, and on the east by the parish of Ouachita. It contains about 
567 square miles. It was organized in the year of A. D. 1844. The 
present rate of taxation for all parochial purposes is ten mills. The 
assessed valuation of property, as shown by the assessment roll for 
the year 1880, is $318,000. The soil generally is an undulating sandy 
loam, with a elay sub-soil, some portions being stiff mulatto soil. All 
heavily timbered ; a greater variety of timber can hardly be found in 
any county; pine, hickory, beech, gum, ash, walnut, maple, all the 
various kinds of oak, and other trees are abundant. No other parish 
in North Louisiana is better watered ; it has numerous clear, running 
branches and creeks, kept up by everlasting springs. The Castor and 
Dougdemonia are the largest water courses in the parish. These, as 
well as many of the smaller streams, abound in fish of various kinds — 
the more numerous kind being the perch. The water used is princi- 
pally well water. Settlers find no difficulty in getting good water 



164 LOUISIANA. 



wherever they may choose to dig a well. The depths of wells vary 
from 20 to 60 feet. The parish is generally considered healthy. The 
principal sickness being chills and fever in the summer months. 

The total population of the parish, as shown by the census of 1880, 
is 5330. Whites, 2924; colored, 2306. Males over 21 years of age, 995; 
registered voters, 722. 

There is only a small portion of Government and State land unen- 
tered in the parish. Private land can be purchased, improved and 
unimproved, in tracts to suit purchasers, varying in price from one to 
live dollars per acre. Improved land can be bought from two to five 
dollars per acre, and the purchaser can have time to make the money 
on the land to pay for it. Improved fenced land may be rented from 
two to three dollars per acre or one-third of corn and one-fourth of 
cotton. 

The religious denominations are "Methodist, Baptist and Presbyte- 
rians. The Methodists have seven churches for the white and one for 
the colored people. The Baptists have six churches for the white and 
four for the folor^d people, and there is one Cumberland Presbyterian 
church in the parish. 

The white had eight and the colored people ten public schools last 
year. The number of children and youths between the ages of 6 and 
21 is 1522. Of these, 405 whites and 515 colored attended the public 
schools last year. 

The laborers employed generally are colored men and boys. Al- 
though not very reliable, we would not exchange them for Chinese. 
Chinese are not wanted. The price paid for laborers varies from $5 to 
$12 50 per month, Laborers can work nearly all the year on the farm 
with safety. Industrious white men can find employment at all sea- 
sons of the year. Mechanics charge from $1 50 to $3 per day. Not 
much demand for their labor. A few immigrants are coming in yearly 
from Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. 

Portions of the parish are well adapted to stock raising. In the east- 
ern and southeastern part, where the long-leaf pine abounds, the sum- 
mer range is exceedingly fine, and the Castor and Dougdemonia 
swamps are covered with switch cane, which furnishes fine grazing for 
cattle in winter. None are now specially engaged in stock raising. 
We think the business could be engaged in with a fair prospect of suc- 
cess. 

There are now in successful operation in the parish three water gin 
and mills. With a little skill and ingenuity in damming, many of the 
creeks would furnish water power sufficient to run almost any kind of 
mackinery. Cotton and wool factories could be established with a 
fair prospect of success. Also shoe, harness, saddle, and wagon fac- 
tories. 

The products best adapted to cultivation are cotton, corn, sugar cane, 
oats, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes and almost every variety of vege- 
tables. Peaches, apples, plums, grapes and figs do well. No fruits or 
vegetables are raised for marketing. Trenton, the nearest market at 
which the products of the parish are sold, is thirty-two miles from Ver- 
non, the parish site. While the average cotton crop will not exceed 
one bale from every three acres and the average corn crop will not exceed 
twelve bushels per acre, we know farmers who have this year gathered 
twenty-five bushels of corn per acre and one who will gather six bales of 
cotton from seven acres. The writer hereof has two acres of ground 
which was taken in from the wild woods since the first of January last 
from which he will gather two heavv bales of cotton this year. 

An industrious man can cultivate from 15 to 25 acres of land in this 
parish and make as much and sometimes more than he can gather. 



LAFAYETTE PARISH. 165 



JEFFERSON PARISH. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population: 12,166. White, 4864; colored, 7302. 

Area: 395 square miles. Woodland, 170 square miles; marsh and 
marsh prairie, '225 square miles. Alluvial, 170 square miles. 

Tilled land: 19,767 acres. Area planted in cotton, none; in corn. 
2065 acres; in sweet potatoes, 8S acres; in sugar cane 6136 acres. 

Jefferson parish stretches from Lake Pontchartrain on the north to 
the head of Barataria Bay on the Gulf coast. Most of the tillable 
lands lie in the northern portion, along the Mississippi Kiver, just west 
of, as well as opposite to, the city of New Orleans. The relatively high 
banks of the Mississippi, on which the towns of Algiers and Gretna 
are located, form a dividing ridge, from the south side of which the water 
drains southward through Bayou Barataria and its connections into 
Barataria Bay. On the higher land accompanying this bayou, as well 
as Bayou Dauphine or Des Families, there are some fine sugar planta- 
tions, although the tillable lands are of little depth, and from about 
the junction of the two bayous, near the eastern end of Lake Washa, 
the marsh prairie closes in upon their banks. 

In this southern portion the surface of the parish is almost entirely 
covered by swamp, marsh prairie, and sea marsh, traversed by an in- 
tricate network of bayous and dotted with lakes, resorts of fishermen 
and duck-hunters only. Numerous shell-heaps form the only eleva- 
tions in the level plain ; they are almost exclusively composed of the 
"clam" or gnathodon. and will doubtless in the future be made profit- 
able for the making of roads, as are those on Lake Pontchartrain. 

Through Ver-et Canal light-draught steamers and other craft canpass 
from the Mississippi, near Algiers, into Bayou Barataria, and Harvey's 
Canal establishes similar communication farther west. Barataria 
Bayou is navigable, and through its connections the waters of the 
Gulf are reached without difficulty. Prior to the construction of the 
Southpass jetties, this route was strongly urged as the most desirable 
outlet for the shipping from New Orleans ; and it may even yet become 
of considerable importance for the coasting trade, since there is but 
little current to be encountered in making the passage up from Bara- 
taria Bay. 

The shore of Lake Pontchartrain, at the northern end of the parish, 
is bordered with four to five miles of marsh prairie, whose landward' 
limit is marked by a belt of live-oak, forming the background of the 
landscape as seen from the river. The lands intervening between the 
live-oak belt and the river are thickly settled and highly productive of 
sugar. 

The production of sugar in the year 1880 was 5.570 hogsheads; the 
production of rice 8,888 barrels. 



LAFAYETTE PARISH. 

NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 

It is bounded on the north and west by St. Landry, on the east by 
St. Martin, and on the south by Vermilion parish. Although one of 
the smallest parishes in that section of the State, it is comparatively 
well settled, containing at the present time a population of about 
14,000. The lands are principally prairie, except in the vicinity of 
bayous and other bodies of water, where it is well wooded and broken, 
and in some places might be termed hilly. Vermilion Bayou, which 
runs almost through the centre of the parish, is navigable at most sea- 



166 LOUISIANA 



sons of the year as far up as the town of Vermilionville. The unset- 
tled condition of the Slate government for several years after the war, 
combined with the oppression imposed upon the people by the malad- 
ministration of public affairs, operated injuriously to the improvement 
and settlement of this as well as other portions of Louisiana. The 
burden of taxation, the insecurity to property, and general disorder, 
were the influences which contributed more or less to this end. We 
are glad, however, to realize a different state of affairs, altogether fa- 
vorable to peace, security and general prosperity, under which a great 
many changes are occurring in the way of industry and enterprise, 
which are everywhere visible in all branches of business throughout 
the country. 

Climate and Health.— Like other parishes in this portion of the State, 
Lafayette can justly boast of a remarkably salubrious climate, the at- 
mosphere being remarkably pure and invigorating. The days, even in 
midsummer, are rendered comparatively pleasant by the pure breezes 
that almost constantly sweep over the broad prairies,while the winters 
are never very cold. This region is highly favorable to sound lungs 
and to the prevention of diseases common to the respiratory organs. 
Consumption and bronchitis are said by physicians to be rarely ac- 
quired here. The healthy attributes here met with are conducive not 
only to a long life, but, what is better, a vigorous and active one. As 
evidence of tnis, one has only to refer to the numerous veterans who 
have spent their lives in this region, some of whom are almost able to 
celebrate the centennial of their natal day. 

Quality of the Soil— The soil throughout most of the parish is either 
of a grayish yellow or a cold gray color, but is much better than is 
generally supposed, and improves wonderfully under proper cultiva- 
tion. By manuring, tramping, draining and deep plowing the prairie 
soil gets better every year that it is cultivated. Coulees and bayous 
course through it in a north and south direction, on the borders of 
which grow fine forests of timber. The prairie is gently rolling. 

Timber.— The timber of the parish is mainly confined to the water 
courses, although groves or clusters of oak and other trees are 
found scattered about in the prairies. The timber is of a fine quality 
and great variety, embracing oak, several varieties, ash, locust, gum, 
magnolia, cypress, hickory, mulberry, pecan, persimmon, dogwood, 
etc. The giant cypresses on the lakes and bayous are numerous 
enough to last a century. The scarcity of timber in the western and 
northern portions of the parish has long since rendered necessary a 
resort to other methods of fencing lands than that usually employed 
in countries where wood is both abundant and convenient. The sys- 
tem most generally adopted has been the planting of hedges of bois 
d'arc and Cherokee rose, the latter being most in favor at the present 
time as more compact and requiring less attention in the matter of 
trimming. Some attention has also been given to wire fencing in the 
prairie regions. 

Water.— The principal water courses of the parish is Vermilion 
Bayou, which is navigable at most seasons of the year as far as the 
town of Vermilionville. There are also a number of small streams or 
coulees scattered throughout the country, which furnish an ample 
supply of water for stock, while pure water is everywhere obtained 
from wells and cisterns, the latter being extensively used in towns by 
preference. 

Field Crops arid their Yield.— The leading field crops at present pro- 
duced in the parish are cotten, sugar, corn, rice and potatoes, but a 
great variety of other products might be profitably added to the list. 
The average yield per acre of these crops is estimated as follows : Su- 
gar, 1 to 2 "hogsheads ; molasses, 2£ to 3 barrels ; cotton \ to f of a bale ; 
corn, 20 to 25 bushels ; rice, 10 to 20 barrels. Other crops can be grown 



LAFAYETTE PARISH. 167 



with equal success. A live, industrious man, a true and skillful far- 
mer, can realize from $100 to $2u0 an acre from the rich sugar lands of 
this State, while other crops are proportionately remunerative. At 
present there are no very extensive sugar plantations in Lafayette 
parish, but the business is engaged in by small farmers, who have fully 
demonstrated its paying qualities. The cotton crop of the parish is 
quite large, and rice culture is increasing in extent every year. In 
fact, the lands of this portion of Louisiana are capable of yielding a 
richer reward than the mines of California, and are infinitely more 
certain to reward the man of industry, and that perpetually, for, as 
previously stated, the more these lands are worked and cared for the 
more valuable they become. 

Price of Lands.— The amount of public land in the parish subject to 
entry or sale is very small and is not of a very desirable character. 
Other lands will range in value from $3 to $20 an acre, according to 
quality and location, and maybe secured in tracts to suit the require- 
ments of purchasers. Improved lands are usually leased on the share 
system— that is, the tenant receives three-fourths of the crop where he 
furnishes his own teams, implements, etc., and one-half of the crop if 
everything is furnished by the lanlord. As a general thing the char- 
acter of improvements oh land is inferior, except on sugar estates, 
where they often cost as much as $50,000. . On small plantations, with 
horse mills, the improvements cost say one tenth that amount. Prai- 
rie places of one hundred and sixty acres can be bought, having indif- 
ferent dwelling, a small stable and crib, without sugar mill or cotton 
press, with forty to seventy-five acres enclobed, tor about $1,000 to 
$1,500. Unimproved lands may be had in some instances as low as $1 
per acre, but tne quality is nut likely to be attractive. 

Churches and Schools. The parish is well supplied with public as 
well as private schools, and the rolls show a large attendance of both 
white and colored pupils during the regular terms. There are no 
academies or high schools yet established, but the convent at Ver- 
milionville may be regarded as an excellent institution of learning, 
being superior to any in this portion of the State. In the way of 
churches it may be remarked that nearly all the religious denomina- 
tions are represented, although the Catholics are largely in the major- 
ity, as is the case in most of the Attakapas parishes. The Episco- 
palians, Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists all have congrega- 
tions, and are suitably provided with buildings for public worship. 

Labor and. Wages. — The present supply of labor, although by no 
means equal to the demand, is of a reliable and permanent character, 
being about evenly divided among the white and colored races. The 
latter usually find employment on the sugar plantations in preference 
to the whites, but white labor is in more general demand elsewhere. 
Field, hands receive from $10 to $12 per month, with board and lodging, 
while something more is paid on the sugar plantations. However, the 
planters prefer to let their lands to tenants on sharing terms to em- 
ploying hands by the month, especially corn and cotton producers. 
During the period when slave labor was principally employed through- 
out the State, free labor was not properly respected, but since the war a 
wonderful change has taken place. White men who labor in the field 
are everywhere regarded with respect, and the creole population have 
shown themselves possessed of an energy which few imagined them 
capable of, and thus, without any considerable, immigration, the coun- 
try is being rapidlv developed and brought under cultivation by them. 
In the cotton and sugar districts the colored people also work well and 
produce large crops of those valuable staples. 

Stock Raising.— Lafayette, like the adjacent parishes, may be termed 
a first-class stock raising region, particularly for horned cattle and 
sheep. The cattle grazing regions are as extensive as remarkable. 



168 LOUISIANA. 



The vast prairies are covered with rich pasturage all the year round, 
and thousands of cattle roam over them at will. In the marshes even, 
cattle and horses subsist and graze the year round. All the prairies of 
Western Louisiana are perennially green, and upon them were once 
located the largest vacheries in the United States — vacheries whose 
owners sometimes branded 5000 calves apiece yearly. Sheep by thou- 
sands were also raised, but both these important industries seem to 
have largely fallen off since the war between the States. 

Cities and Towns.— Vermilionville is the principal town in the parish, 
while Royville and Broussardville, on the Morgan Railway, are flour- 
ishing settlements. The population of Vermilionville at this time is 
1500, and is constantly increasing. It is regularly laid out, well drained, 
policed and officered. It has several good public buildings, amon? 
which may be mentioned the new convent, also a number of handsome 
private dwellings. The grounds surrounding the residences being 
liberally supplied with shade and ornamental trees renders it impos- 
sible to obtain a "bird's-eye view" of the place, hence the visitor will 
be puzzled at times to ascertain whether he is "in town" or outside of 
its limits. There are five churches in the place, three occupied by the 
whites and two by the colored people. Being the point where the Lou- 
isiana Western intersects the Morgan Railway, and where the machine 
shops of the former are to be located, Vermilionville may be regarded 
as on the highway to prosperity. The Lafayette Advertiser, a well- 
conducted weekly newspaper, is printed and published here, while the 
Cotton Boll, printed in Nev? Iberia, is circulated in the parish by the 
proprietor of the Sugar Bowl. 

Sundry Industries.— The usual number of small industrial establish- 
ments, such as cooper-shops, blacksmith, tinsmith and cacoenter- 
shops are to be found distributed throughout the parish, which," added 
to the supply of manufactured articles received from abroad, have 
served to meet the ordinary demand of the population. The growing 
importance and development of the country, however, is beginning to 
require some additions in this respect, and persons willing to engage 
in tanning leather, manufacturing shoes, saddles, harness, cotton and 
woolen goods will here find every facility for building up a large and 
remunerative business. In short, skill and industry are sure to be 
liberally rewarded in Lafayette parish. 

Market Facilities.— New Orleans, which is accessible by water and 
rail from Vermilionville. offers the nearest and best market for this 
section of the country. By means of rapid communication and cheap 
freights the Lafayette produces will be able to place his fruits and 
vegetables in market so as to compete favorably with all rivals. These 
products include figs, peaches apples, pears, plums, cherries, melons, 
strawberries and almost everv garden vegetable known. In fact there 
is no limit to the capacity of the soil for producing vegetables and 
fruits of the finest character. 

State of Society.- The society of Lafayette is all that could be ex- 
pected or desired by unprejudiced persons. It is only necessary to say 
that under the new regime violations of the statutes are comparatively 
unknown. 

Immigration.— In June last some of the most enterprising citizens 
and land owners of the parish organized the " Lafayette Immigration 
Association," the executive committee of which is now engaged in 
preparing valuable statistical information concerning the resources of 
the parish for general distribution abroad. Inquiries concerning lands 
from intending: settlers may be addressed to the association, as above, 
at Vermilionville. 

Bod and Gun. — Northern visitors spending the winter in Louisiana 
will find in Lafayette parish an abundance of game and fish with 



LAFOURUEE P ARISE. 169 



which to pass away their idle moments while taking refuge from the 
frigid regions of their section of the country. Good shooting can be 
had with very little effort, as the amateur sportsmen have not been so 
numerous as to seriously alarm the game and cause it to take refuge 
in inaccessible localities. 



LAFOURCHE PARISH. 

BY SILAS T. GRISAMORE, THIBODAUX. 

Its Boundaries and Topography.— Lafourche is a long and narrow 
parish, bounded on the north by Assumption, St. James, St. John, St. 
Charles and Jefferson parishes, on the east by St. Charles and Jeffer- 
son parishes, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico and the parish of Ter- 
rebone, and on the west by the parishes of Terreboneand Assumption. 

It is composed entirely of alluvial lands, some of which are arable. 
and the remainder swamps and sea marsh. 

Its Bayous and Navigation.— Bayou Lafourche which leaves the Mis- 
sissippi Kiver at Donaldsonville, eighty miles above New Orleans, 
enters the parish of Lafourche twenty-seven miles from its inlet, and 
flows easterly through the entire length of the parish and empties into 
the Gulf of Mexico. This stream is navigable for about seven months 
in the year for steamboats and all species of water craft. By it stone, 
coal, fire brick, hoop-poles, sand, lime, lumber from the west are 
landed in front of the various sugar plantations and towns ; also rafts 
of saw logs are landed at the saw mills, floated from the swamps of 
Upper Louisiana and Mississippi. By this stream, either on steam- 
boats during high water, or by flat boats in low water, a large amount 
of the sugar machinery, etc., necessary in the culture of sugar, and 
merchandise, is Drought to the different landings, and the crops made 
are transported to market. From the sea shore, by means of luggers, 
oysters, game, fish, melons, oranges, etc., are brought to the railroad 
stations for reshipment to the New Orleans market, or peddled along 
the bayou to the residents on either bank. 

Bayou des Allemands is a beautiful stream that flows along the 
northern line of the Parish, rising near Donaldsonville, and emptying 
into Lake Salvador, where it is lost in the numerous bays and outlets 
extending to the Gulf of Mexico. It is navigable for steamboats draw- 
ing four feet of water, and through it many of the products of Lafourche 
finds an outlet to market. This bayou drains all that section of coun- 
try found between Bayou Lafourche and the Mississippi Biver as far 
down as the parish of St. Charles. 

Bayou Blue flows from Thiboudaux to the Gulf, and from Lake 
Fields down could be rendered navigable, 

Bayou Chiebey, Choupic, Malogay and Grand Bayou, and various 
others, serve as drains to the country, and may at some future time be 
navigable for small craft. 

lakes.— Lake Fields, in the rear of Lockport, and Lake Long, in its 
rear, are beautiful bodies of water, noted for their excellent fish— such 
as cat, sac-a-lait, perch, buffalo, etc. 

Lake Salvador is a magnificent body of water north of Lockport, 
and is the entrauce to one of the most charming body of lakes, that 
lead into the Gulf at Grand Pass, that can be found on the globe. 

Lake Allemands is a large body of water between Lafourche and St. 
James. These lakes are supplied with fish and crabs at all seasons, 
and during the hunting seasons are favorite resting places for the 
immense flocks of poule d'eau and ducks, that come down from the 
colder climes of the North. 

22 



170 LOUISIANA 



The Soil.— The soil is generally a rich alluvial deposit. The arable 
lands fronting on the bayous and extending backwards to greater or 
ess distances. 

Those fronting on the north side of Bayou Lafourche extend back 
from two to three miles, from the upper part of the parish to Longue- 
ville, thence gradually they diminish in depth until they become a 
narrow belt, and are finally lost in sea marsh. Those fronting on the 
south side, as far down as Thibodaux, have a depth also of about three 
miles. From Thibodaux they resemble those on the other side below 
Longueville. 

In thej rear of those lands on the north side are the " Brulees," 
Ohoupic,^Bayous Sec, Malogay, Baton Pilon, Coteau Folse, Vacherie, 
Livoudais, Dugue, all being good culturable lands, extending on either 
side of interior bayous. 

On the south side are the "Brulees," Guillot and Grand Chene and 
the Acadia Bidge. 

Large bodies of land, designated as "Floating Prairie," the surface 
consisting of matted roots and decayed vegetation, often half con- 
cealed under the surface of the water, and often of sufficient strength 
to support grazing cattle, which feed upon them, are found in various 
parts of the parish. 

Islands, etc.— Outside of these lands is a ragged edge of islands, 
peninsulas and points upon which there is little save sea grass to be 
seen, with an occasional fisherman's cabin elevated upon a high point. 

Timber.— The arable lands are covered with ash, oak, gum, cotton- 
wood and magnolia trees, whilst the swamp lands abound in, cypress, 
of which many trees are found to be more than four feet in diameter. 
The cypress is a superior timber, and is almost exclusively used for 
building purposes, for manufacturing sugar hogsheads and barrels, 
picket fences and shingles. Thousands of railroad cross-ties are made 
from the cypress in the Lafourche swamps. 

Agricultural Products. Sugar cane is the principal product; rice, 
corn, Irish and sweet potatoes, onions and all varieties of garden vege- 
tables are grown. The sugar cane is grown principally on the deep 
lands facing Bayou Lafourche. Bice, corn, potatoes and onions on 
lands that are more narrow. In the "burlees" but little cane or rice 
is found in cultivation. 

Sugar cane is calculated to yield one hogshead of sugar and two bar- 
rels of molasses for each arpent of cane grown, including that put 
down for seed. Single acres sometimes yield three or four more hogs- 
heads, but a good yield is considered about 2500 pounds for cane with a 
good stand. 

Bice on an average should give 1500 to 2500 pounds to the acre. Irish 
potatoes often give twenty-five to thirty-five barrels for each barrel of 
seed planted, but ten to fifteen barrels is considered as satisfactory. 
Sweet potatoes and onions are prolific. 

Hay.— Quantities of hay are made from the native grasses that grow 
spontaneously, whilst cow peas yield a very heavy percentage of hay, 
that mules prefer above all other kinds. Oats can be grown success- 
fully for early hay. 

Fruits.— The cultivation of fruits is only beginning to attract atten- 
tion. Enough is known, however, to prove that oranges, peaches, 
plums, persimmons, pecans, walnuts and berries can be raised success- 
fully and abundantly, with little care and attention. Cherries and 
apples could be, very probably, grown were proper efforts made to dis- 
cover suitable varieties adapted to this climate. Figs grow in great 
abundance. 

Cattle.— Cattle for household purposes do well in this parish. The 
Golden Banche plantation, in the Vacherie Livaudais, has been raising 



LAFOURCHE PARISH. 171 



large herds with fair success, which feed upon the wild cane of the 
high lands and the prairie grasses adjacent. 

Sheep.— The soil appears to be too damp and the heat of the sum- 
mers too long for this sensitive animal. Small herds can be grown 
successfully. 

Poultry and Eggs.— Chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys are grown in 
great quantities, many families supporting themselves almost from the 
proceeds of the poultry yard. 

Dairies. — No effort to establish dairies, except for neighborhood de- 
mands, has ever been attempted. It is not likely that such an attempt 
would be remunerative. 

Moss.— The trees of the forests are covered with a fine quality of 
moss, that can be easily gathered and prepared for market. The sup- 
ply seems almost inexhaustible, and when properly rotted and colored, 
brings a ready sale in the markets of the world. 

System of Farming.— The system of land owners cultivating their 
own lands, by their own or hired labor has heretofore prevailed almost 
universally. Sugar and rice growers on a large scale have all pur- 
sued this system. Colored labor has been preferred under such a 
method. 

Some few sugar planters have partially worked their lands by ten- 
ants, grinding their cane for them on shares. This has operated sat- 
isfactorily where the planter has rolled all the cane grown by the 
tenant. But when the result of the tenant's summer toil has been 
caught in the winter freezes and lost, it has proven disastrous. 

It is not believed that any system of tenantry on a large scale working 
on shares will prove satisfactory, and no one tries it. But several plan- 
tations are now leasing lands to tenants, paying them so much per 
ton for all cane brought to the sugar houses, and dividing in such pro- 
portions as may be covenanted the surplus of corn, potatoes or other 
products the tenant may grow. 

By this plan all tenants will be placed upon an equalitv. All will 
have the benefit of time for their cane to profit, and all will partially 
share any losses that may be had by cold or other misfortunes. 

Agricultural Implements.— The scarcity of laborers annually increas- 
ing, has caused an inquiry into the value and practicability of im- 
proved implements for cultivating, and new articles of that nature are 
rapidly coming into use. 

Labor.— For the cultivation of sugar cane, on the larger plantations, 
colored labor is principally sought and used. The cultivation of rice, 
potatoes, onions, etc., is generally done by white labor, which is also 
largely employed during the sugar making season in its manufacture. 

The foolish assertion that white men cannot do anything that a col- 
ored man can do in this climate is too silly to justify a refutation. 

Labor of the colored race is becoming more, unreliable as the old 
slaves pass away. The native whites do not seem disposed to work as 
day laborers on sugar farms, but do well as tenants when proper oppor- 
tunities are afforded. 

Many of the best and most reliable colcred men are getting homes 
of their own and cultivate their own lands, and follow ditching or 
wood-chopping when not employed in their own fields. 

Climate.— The temperature in summer is generally from 80° to 90°. 
In winter it seldom gets below the freezing point, and then only 
remains for one day or two. During the summer the heat is modified 
by occasional breezes that blow daily, while the nights are rarely too 
warm for comfortable rest. 

A good deal of rainfall occurs annually, the principal seasons of rain 
being January, July and August. 

Health.— The health of Lafourche is as good as that of any parish or 
country. During the fall malarious fevers are somewhat frequent, but 



178 LOUISIANA. 



easily yield to treatment. Typhoid fever and pneumonia are of rare 
occurrence. 

The drainage of the low lands, which is now initiated, will very likely 
reduce the malaria infections, and perhaps remove food for yellow 
fever epidemics, which have never extended to the lower parts of the 
parish. 

The last census found numerous citizens over SO years of age, and 
fifteen or twenty who were centennarians. 

Manufactories.— On each sugar plantation of ordinary capacity the 
sugar cane grown thereon is manufactured into sugar and molasses. 

There are four refineries for making white sugars in the parish. 
There are two iron foundries, one boiler making shop, several saw 
mills, two tinware manufactories and numerous cooper shops, that 
make barrels and hogsheads for sugar growers. 

Fisheries and Hunting. Several hundred people residing on the 
lower Lafourche and interior lakes earn a comfortable subsistence in 
transporting oysters, either to residents up the Lafourche or by way of 
the lakes and canals to New Orleans. In winter others follow duck 
hunting, snooting these migratory birds for the New Orleans market 
and home consumption. 

Education. — The want of any fund to aid in maintaining public 
schools places the entire burden upon the taxpayers to support these 
indispensable adjuncts to civilization. In addition to what the State 
distributes to the parish, the police jury assesses two mills for pay- 
ment of teachers' salaries, and a small contribution tax to build and 
repair school houses. These houses are built upon lots, leased for fif- 
teen or twenty years, free of rent, and are used for private schools 
during vacation of public schools. White and colored schools are 
maintained separately. The corporation of Thibodaux assesses a two 
mill tax in addition for support of schools in her limits. 

Churches.— The white population is nine-tenths Koman Catholic. 
That church has three churches and some half a dozen chapels. St. 
Joseph's Church in Thibodaux is considered the finest building of the 
kind in Louisiana, outside of New Orleans. In Thibodaux the whites 
have an Episcopalian and Presbyterian church. The colored people 
have a great many churches in the parish, principally Methodist and 
Baptist, Freedom of religious opinion is universally tolerated, and 
unless a person makes himself offensive no hindrance is ever made to 
his expressing his religious views. 

Plantations, Farms.— Sugar plantations cultivate from 100 to 1000 
acres of land ; rice, from 100 to 500 acres. Farms range from one- 
fourth of an acre front, running back 40, 60 and 80 acres in depth. 

Drainage.— All lands drain from Lafourche into interior streams, 
through which the surplus waters find an outlet into the Gulf of Mex- 
ico. 

Recovered Lands.— An attempt is now being made to drain all the 
lands in the Lafourche, south side, below Thibodaux, which will be 
accomplished in a couple of years. This will recover about 300,000 
acres of splendid land, and bring into market from 200,000 to 275,000 
acres. 

Fertilizers.— No fertilizer is equal to the Carolina cow pea, which not 
only enriches the soil but makes a superior quality of hay for animals 
and good for men. For stubble cane, cotton-seed meal appears to have 
the preference over all others. 

Population.— The census of 1880 gives 11,282 whites ; 7831 colored. 

Area.— The area is 1024 square miles. Woodland, 295 square miles; 
marsh and marsh prairie, 729 square miles. Tillable land, 44,802 acres. 
Area planted in corn in 1880, 16,018 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 331 acres ; 
in sugar cane, 12,249 acres. 



LIVINGSTON PARISH. 173 



Towns.— Thibodaux, the capitol town is situated at the junction of 
Bayou Terrebone with Bayou Lafourche 34 miles from Donaldsonville, 
and 60 miles from New Orleans. A branch railroad connects it with 
Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad at Terrebone station. The 
population of the incorporated town is put down at 1,515, but one-third 
of the town is without the corporate limits. The true population is 
about 2,500. 

Lockport is 22 miles below Thibodaux, and has a population of 171, 

Longueville is immediately opposite Lockport with a population of 
101. 

Conclusion.— With but little care garden vegetables of all kinds can 
be had every month of the year. In the fall and early winter ducks, 
paule d' eau, etc., can be hunted nearly all over the parish. Oysters 
are brought to the citizen's doors fur six months in the year. 

The population is principally of the latin descent. The people are 
hospitable, charitable and kind. The health of the parish is good, and 
upon the whole there is no land more agreeable for a residence than 
the parish of Lafourche offers to an honest man. 



LINCOLN. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population— 11,075 ; white 6177, colored 4898. 

Area— 485 square miles. "Woodland, all. Oak uplands red lands, 
about 240 square miles ; yellow loam, etc., 245 square miles. 

Tilled Land— 108,084 acres. Area planted in cotton. 22,990 acres; in 
corn, 21,602 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 265 acres ; in sugar cane, 232 acres. 

Cotton Production— 9732 bales ; average cotton product per acre, 0.42 
bale, 603 pounds of seed cotton, or 201 pounds cotton lint. 

Lincoln parish, formed lately from portions of adjoining parishes, 
is, par excellence, the red land parish of the State. It may be esti- 
mated that quite half of its surface is occupied by red soils, and is 
often quite hilly and almost too broken for cultivation. This is espe- 
cially the case in the northwestern portion, where rough red rocks are 
strewn all over the country ; but wherever cultivable these rocky lands 
have proved very productive and durable. The rest of the parish is 
more gently rolling, and has a yellow loam soil with more or less of the 
red subsoil. The timber is oak and hickory, mingled more or less with 
short-leaf pine. The degree of this admixture, and the size of the 
trees, form very good indicatioDs of the relative productiveness of the 
several varieties of soil. Cotton, corn and sweet potatoes are largely 
produced. The farms are small but Avell kept, and many small vil- 
lages are scattered through the country. 

Communication with markets is mainly with the Washita country. 
The projected line of the Northern Louisiana and Texas Railroad tra- 
verses this parish. 



LIVINGSTON PARISH. 

BY HON. H. SKIPWITH IN THE NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 

This paristi is bounded by the parish of St. Helena on the north ; by 
the Amite River and the parish of Ascension on the west ; by Lake 
Maurepas on the south, and by the Tickfaw River and parish of Tan- 
gipahoa on the east. Its superficial area contains 280,000 acres, much 
of which is already under cultivation, most of the cultivated land lying 
along the margin of the Amite and Tickfaw Riv ers, and on the margin 



174 LOUISIANA. 



of Bayou Barbary, Gray's creek and the Colyell. Its forests, which 
cover the largest division of its area, still abound in timber of great 
marketable value. In the eastern division, on the water-shed draining 
into the Tickl'aw, the forests, although growing magnolia, beach, oak, 
gum and hickory in large quantities, are stiil interspersed with a con- 
siderable growth of pine. In the western division, or on the water- 
shed draining into the Amite Biver and Lake Maurepas, pine is rare, 
and magnolia, oak. beach, gum, hickory and cypress form the staple 
of forest growth. Along the margin of the lake there are some very 
productive farms under cultivation ; so, also, on Bayou Barbary and 
its three prongs, on all of which soil of great natural fertility may be 
had in abundance at government prices, or rates almost as cheap from 
the proprietors. 

Throughout the southwestern division, which I have been describ- 
ing, the productive wealth of the parish is derived chiefly from the 
forests and swamps, and this is the case as high up as Port Vincent, a 
small but growing town on the banks of the Amite Biver, a short dis- 
tance below the intersection of the Bayou Manchac ; Port Vincent at 
present being the seat of parish government, although Springfield, on 
the Natalbany, is by no means content that Port Vincent shall become 
the permanent parish seat— a question angrily mooted between the 
two ; a question also which will depend upon whether the tide of im- 
migration shall flow strongest to the westward or eastern division. In 
this point of view, the question of immigration presents a lively bone 
of contention to the advocates of the claims of both competitors. 
Which section offers the most favorable inducements to immigrants ? 
Which can provide the best and cheapest lands and the most comfort- 
able homes ? It is manifest that the immigrants are to become at no 
distant day the arbiters between the rival factions. Mr. W. H. Merritt, 
a large and prosperous merchant of Port Vincent and one of the largest 
landed proprietors of the parish, says Port Vincent shall be the place 
if he has to build a court-house at his own expense ; and from the 
liberal, offer he makes to promote immigration, I infer that he already 
discerns its import, not only on the question of enhanced production, 
but on the court-house question as well. On the morning I left Port 
Vincent he handed me the following memorandum : 

'Tor each laboring family, up to thirty in number, to be settled in 
Livingston parish, or in Ascension parish, adjoining Livingston, I will 
sell, on a credit of ten years, without interest, forty acres of land, and 
furnish them with the necessaries of life at the very lowest market 

S rices, on a credit, and sell them all the horses and mules they may 
ave use for working purposes, and cows and hogs in sufficient num- 
bers to live on, and grant them free transportation from New Orleans 
to Port Vincent ; and furnish them houses to live in until such time as 
thev can build for themselves. W. H. MERBITT. 

"Julv 21, 1880." 

Oh, Father Time! how wonderful are thy revelations! A century 
ago, in the days of the old Spanish regime, when Port Vincent had its 
schooners on the coast of Africa, waiting for cargoes of slaves to sell 
to the planters of Eastern Louisiana, who could have prophesied that 
such a generous offer for free laborers would ever emanate from Port 
Vincent ? The prophet, had there been one, would have been classified 
as a vissionary dreamer— a lunatic too dangerous to trust out of his 
cell. 

A few miles below Port vincent, seated along the margin of the 
Biver Amite is a hamlet universally styled ' the French Settlement." 
A cote joyeutie, on which many descendants of emigres from La Belle 
France enact their happy role, composed of almost equal parts of 
work and fun, for so wags the world in the French settlement. Each 
habitant has his cane, corn, oats, rice and potato patch, occasionally, 



LIVINGSTON PARISH. 175 



too, a patch of cotton, and each in almost equal proportions, (further- 
more no "grande hommes de province" in the French settlement,) has 
his flock of goats and sheep, his hogs and his herd of fat cattle. Those 
enumerated are all behind him ; in front he has as much good cypress 
timber as he can cut and float in the next half century. Altogether, 
with the combined product of his pastures, of his flocks and herds, 
and of his raids upon the cypress forests in front of him, I should say 
that the habitues of the French settlement can well afford to spend, 
as they do, every Saturday night in fiddling and dancing, and to en- 
liven the interval between dances with a bottle or two of claret. It is 
an isolated colony; and there is no better community in the world. 
Some of their peculiar characteristics grow perhaps out of their isola- 
tion, viz : indifference about the great events which are stirring other 
parts of the world, dislike of anything which smacks of chanee, par- 
ticularly in the matter of a reformation of religious. Such a commu- 
nity, while reliable to make a resolute defense of its home interests, 
would probably contribute a scant quota to an army in the field. But 
with all its peculiarities it is a happy, virtuous, law-abiding commu- 
nity. If it contributes not much to the revenues of thecommon- 
wealth, it costs tne commonwealth nothing to enforce the public 
justice against its offenders, for it has none. 

From Lake Maurepas up the Amite, as high as Port Vincent, there 
are lands in large bodies which in natural strength of soil are sur- 
passed only by the alluvial lands of the Mississippi valley— lands which 
in choice spots Avill produce two hogsheads of sugar, 2500 pounds of 
seed cotton, 35 barrels of corn and 50 bushels of rice to the acre. The 
same estimate of the capacity of the soil will apply to fresh, well- 
drained lands north of Port Vincent, up to the northern boundary of 
the parish ; such lands are still to be found in large bodies along the 
Amite and in the valleys of Gray's creek and the Colvell. Much of the 
land, however, which is now cultivated, has been "in cultivation for 
many years, and its capacity has been much reduced by years of 
neglect and maltreatment. This last remark applies with almost uni- 
versal truth to the farming statistics of the eastern division of the par- 
ish; although it must be admitted that there are still some very pro- 
ductive farms in the valley of the Tickfaw, near which is seated the 
ancient town of Springfield, which, before the New Orleans, Jackson 
and Chicago Eailroad was constructed, and before its younger rival. 
Port Vincent, inveigled the court-house away from it, was a commer- 
cial centre and shipping point of great importance ; and there are yet 
lingering traces of the vast warehouses which received on deposit the 
supplies of a rich back country, and housed and shipped across the 
lake its bountiful crops. There is nothing in scenery more beautiful or 
more sad than the landscapes from the rotten wharves and warehouses 
(ghosts of former commercial splendor as they are) to the crown of the 
bluffs of old Springfield, on whicn once stood an old Spanish fortress, 
on which now stand several monarchical live oaks, teaching puny man 
how ephemeral are his works contrasted with those of his Master. 

Near Springfield there is a small vineyard under the management of 
a thrifty German, skilled as a vine grower. Small as it is, its yield is 
amazing, producing grapes in large quantities for market, which are 
shipped by the N. O., J. and C. Eailroad, only six miles distant, and 
enough wine and vinegar to supply the family and the neighborhood. 
Along the valley of the Tickfaw the natural soil was very productive, 
but long usage and neglect has exhausted much of its original produc- 
tive force. There are still, however, some large bodies of fresh virgin 
soil. The bluffs frequently jut out until they overhang the channel of 
the river, affording many most picturesque sites for building and 
beautifying a country seat. The stream yields readily, even to a 
novice, strings of trout and perch which would set the eye of old Izaak 



176 LOUISIANA. 



"Walton dancing with delight. As it flows from north to south, nearly 
parallel to the railroad, every acre of land on its margin is accessible 
to market, and all its products are within reach of cheap, fast trans- 
portation. Added to which the schooner freightage across the lake, 
which is not so fast but cheaper, and a land where no disease except 
occasional chill and fever ever penetrates ; with generous soil, with ex- 
cellent market facilities, with magnificent fishing and hunting— for the 
deer, the wild turkey, the squirrel, rabbit and partridge still abound— 
what more could an immigrant desire in the choice of a home ? 



MADISON PARISH. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population : 13,906. White, 1261 ; colored, 12,645. 

Area : 672 square miles. Wooland, all. All alluvial lands. 

Tilled land : 48,391 acres. Area planted in cotton, 28,103 acres ; in 
corn, 7797 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 140 acres. • , ■ 

Cotton production : 23,391 bales ; average cotton product per acre, 
0.83 bale, 1185 pounds seed-cotton, or 395 pounds cotton lint. 

Madison parish is included between the Mississippi Eiver and Bayou 
Macon, with Teifsas Eiver traversing its western half. In this respect, 
as well as in its soils and forest growth, it greatly resembles Tensas 
parish. The same is true as regards the occupancy of the 
cultivated lands by cotton as the chief crop. No details of its 
agricultural features have been accessible to me. The following gen- 
eral statement is made bv Mr. A. C. Gibson, of Waverley Station, on 
the Vicksburg and Texas Eailroad : 

The entire parish is alluvial, level, intersected by bayous, but no 
hills; all subject to overflow; only protected from inundation by 
levees. It is in the center of the genuine cotton producing belt. 

Timber is sweet gum, oaks, hackberry, pecan, persimmon, cotton- 
wood ; cypress in the swamps. The soil varies from sandy loam to a 
prairie-like clay (buckshot ) ; color, blackish or black ; most of it warm 
and well-drained (by underlying sand?), easy to till, warm and early. 
It is best adapted to cotton, and three-fourths of the cleared land is 
occupied by that crop ; the rest is in corn. Five feet is the average 
height of the cotton plant. It inclines to run to weed in wet seasons, 
but can be restrained by shallow cultivation. The land, when fresh, 
will produce 500 pounds of lint per acre ; on old land about 400, and on 
the latter J 520 pounds of seed cotton is needed for a 450-pound bale. 
The staple from old land rates about the same as from fresh. It is a 
shade finer, but not so strong. 

Cocklebur and crab-grass are the most troublesome weeds. 

About one-half of lands once in cultivation now lie turned out ; when 
again cultivated these lands yield as well as ever, after the firsr year. 

Cotton is shipped chiefly in November, and to New Orleans ; the rate 
of freight is $2 25 per bale, 



MOREHOUSE PARISH, 

NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 
Morehouse parish is situated in the extreme northern portion of the 
State, immediately upon the Arkansas line. It is bounded on the 
north by Arkansas, while its other boundaries are : On the east, West 
Carroll, from which it is separated by Bceuf Eiver ; on the west by 
Union and the Ouachita Eiver, and on the south by Eichland and 
Ouachita, with Bayous Boeuf and Lafourche as the dividing lines. 



MOREHOUSE PARISH. 177 



Settlement of the Parish. -Morehouse was formerly a part of Ouach- 
ita parish, which included (forty years ago) nearly all that portion of 
Louisiana west of the Tensas and north of the Ked. This section was 
very thinly settled in earlier days, excepting some portions of the 
Ouachita valley, now included in Ouachita parish, where a few hunters 
lived in the last century, and where, as early as 1795-7, some French 
farmers and planters had settled and Avere cultivating the land. 

Varieties of Land. —Morehouse includes more varieties of land than 
any other par'sh in the State. It has some cypress swamps, some 
loAvlands or alluvial bottoms, pine lands, uplands and even prairie. 
The bottoms are the most abundant and cover about two-thirds of the 
parish, the uplands nearly one-third, while the prairies amount to only 
a few thousand acres. . 

Morehouse is in shape something like a semi-circle, with the Arkan- 
sas line as the arc. It is forty-three miles from east to west and thirty- 
five miles from north to south, and contains about 760 square miles or 
486,000 acres, divided as follows : 

Prairies ,3955 

Bceuf Kiver bottoms , ..185,000 

Bayou Bartholomew bottoms 125,000 

Uplands 170,000 

Topography of the Parish— The general topography of the country is 
a ridge, cove'red with pine, running down the centre of the parish from 
north to south and sloping towards lowlands on each side of it. On 
the Avest is the Bayou Bartholomew bottom ; on the east the Bceuf 
Biver bottom,*a large portion of Avhich consists of cypress swamps, sub- 
ject to overflow, and therefore very thinly settled and very littlo culti- 
vated. The most prosperous section is along Bayou Brrtholomew. 
The country is well settled here, open to trade, in easy communication 
with the markets and not subject to overflow. Here are situated the 
larger plantations, as well as many small farms, cultivated by their 
OAvners, white men, and producing nearly all that is needed in the way 
of supplies, such as pork, corn, etc. The section of the country subject 
to overflow is that lying between Bceuf Biver on the east and the Oua- 
chita on the west. The overfloAv does not continue long, and much of 
the land is planted after the waters subside. About 80,000 acres, or one- 
fifth of the parish, is subject to this overflow. 

The Prairies.— The prairies are feAv in number and small, embracing 
altogether onlv a few thousand acres. Prairie Mer Rouge, the largest, 
and which embraces some of the richest lands in Morehouse, lies 
nearly in the centre of the parish and not many miles distant from 
BastroD. Prairie Jefferson is in the Southern part of the parish, in 
the Bceuf Biver country, Avhile Prairie Sycamore lies in the northern 
part, near the Arkansas line. It is but an atom, however ; not more 
than a square mile in extent. 

The Best Lands— Nearly all the lands in Morehouse are fertile, but 
there is, of course, great diversity in their productiveness. The best 
lands are those of the Bayou Bartholomew bottom. Those on Bceuf 
Biver are too low and swampy for cultivation, while the uplands, be- 
ing largely pine woods, are not as fertile or productive. "With refer- 
ence to the hills, it is generally considered that the higher the hill is 
the poorer the land. The highest ones are thickly covered with black- 
jack oak, generally regarded as evidence of the poorness of the soil. 
The better uplands, however are good second-rate land, and while they 
are not as prolific in cotton, producing only about half as much as the 
bottoms, they are fully as good for corn, and better for fruit, vines, etc. 

Very little cotton is raised on them, except on new lands— corn, oats, 
etc., being the usual crops. The hill lands have one adA'antage, that 
of not sending forth as luxuriant a foliage as the bottoms, so that less 

23 



178 LOUISIANA. 



labor is required to keep the crop in order. The common esitmate is 
that a hand can cultivate fully 50 per cent more of uplands than bottom 
land. This fact makes the hill country a favorite section for raising 
corn and such crops, and explains how Morehouse raises such a 
large proportion of its own supplies. 

A very small proportion of the parish is cultivated, not more than 
one-eighth being tilled, while one-third could easily be worked with 
scarcely any expense in the way of draining, leveeing, etc. Indeed, 
the parish could support a population of 50,000, instead of the 14,000 
persons it now contains. 

The best planting sections are the Bayou Bartholomew country, Oak 
Kidge, Gum Swamp and Prairie Mer Kouge, some of which regions 
boasted early this season of one and a quarter bales of cotton to the 
acre. 

The Farmers.— -The Morehouse farmers are generally in prosperous 
financial condition, and taxes are well and freely paid. 

Price of Zand.— Some land is still held by both the Fed -ral and State 
governments, mainly in the pine ridge section, the centre of the par- 
ish, where, by-the-by, there are many excellent saw-mill sites to be 
purchased. This land is high and healthy, well watered and adapted 
to nearly all kinds of crops, and exceedingly inviting to the newcomer. 
From private parties a great deal of good land can here be purchased 
at the rate of $1 per acre. 

The general price of lands, however, is as follows : 

First-class open lands, with good improvements, houses, dwellings, 
etc., $20 to $30 per acre. 

First-class wild land, $4 to $6. 

Most of the land, however, is leased by the year, when the prices are : 

For improved lands, in small tracts, one-fourth the crop or from $4 
to $6 per acre. 

For large plantations, with dwellings, gins, cabins' and all the neces- 
sities for the thorough cultivation of the soil, from $3 to $4 per acre. 

Labor.— There is plenty of labor, both for the saw-mills, of which 
the parish contains a number, and the farms and plantations. Agri- 
cultural labor on the large plantations is mainly negro, while the 
small farms are cultivated mostly by their owners, who are small 
white farmers. Wages are liberal, bu*: the hands generally prefer to 
cultivate on the share system, and a majority of them are now working 
on shares. Of course the receipts of a laborer vary as he works well 
or as the season proves favorable, but the usual estimate is" that an in- 
dustrious hand can make from eight to ten bales of cotton and from 
100 to 150 bushels of corn a year without difficulty. 

Products.— The estimated yield of good land per acre is, for excellent 
alluvial land, one bale of cotton per acre, or thirty-five bushels of corn, 
or from thirty to forty bushels of oats ; for medium bottom lands two- 
thirds of a bale of cotton per acre, and for the uplands one-third of a 
bale. 

The value of the yield per acre is, in cotton, good bottoms' $45 to 
$50, fair bottoms $30 to $33, hill land $15 to $16; in corn, $26 to $35. 

The parish last year produced about 15,000 bales. Its yield of corn, 
pork, etc., compares favorably with most of the other piAishes of North 
Louisiana. 

Some sugar cane is grown in the parish, but wholly for the manufac- 
ture of syrup, the local demand being thus satisfied. The average 
yield of syrup is 250 to 300 gallons per acre, which is readily disposed 
of at excellent prices. 

Stock and Sheep.— There is very little stock-raising in the parish at 
present, although its canebrakes afford an excellent range for them, 
while the hill lands are admirably adapted for sheep. 



MOREHO USE PARISH. 1 79 



Wood and Lumber.— Morehouse is fairly timbered with all the trees 
known in Northern Louisiana and Southern Arkansas, among which 
maybe mentioned the pine, cypress, hickory, dogwood, various kinds 
of oak, sassafras, sweet gum, osage orange and black walnut. Lumber 
is abundant and cheap, pine selling at $10 per thousand feet and cypress 
at from $12 50 to $15. . 

Fruit. — Peaches, apples, pears and plums do best. The hill lands 
are much better for fruit raising than the rich bottoms. 

Morehouse is admirably adapted for the cultivrtion of the grape, 
many indigenous varieties of which grow here luxuriantly in the for- 
ests. Among these may be mentioned the grape called the Battura, 
which was discovered here in abundance by the early French settlers. 
This grape is of dark blue hue, grows near the water's edge, and pros- 
pers when it has been covered by overflow, the grapes bursting forth 
as soon as the water goes down. Vines do best in the hills. 

Rivers and Bayous.— The parish is well cut up by rivers and bayous, 
and watercourse between all sections of it is easy. The leading streams 
are the Ouachita and Bceuf rivers and Bayou Bartholomew, all of 
which are large and navigable a greater portion of the year to steamers 
carrying 1500 or more bales of cotton, The other chief streams are 
Bayous Bceuf, Bonne Idie, Little Bonne Idie, Cypress, Pawpaw, Du 
Bute, Trinsey, Shemanana, Caney, Coffee. Lathers and Gallion, all of 
which streams drain into the Ouachita. 

Fish.— These, and a number of lakes in the parish, are full of the 
best eating fish, among which may be mentioned the trout, bass, bank 
and white perch, cat and buffalo. In Bayou Bartholomew a fine va- 
riety of bar fish is to be found. 

Shipping Facilities.— There is no lack of shipping facilities in More- 
house, as all of the Ouachita and nearly all of Bayou Bartholomew 
and Bceuf Riv^r are navigable to large steamboats during five months 
in the year. There are no less than 196 miles of navigable streams in 
the parish, on each mile of which there is some shipping point. Point 
Pleasant, near Bastrop, is the chief one, and ships the greater portion 
of the produce of the parish. Bates are exceedingly cheap to New 
Orleans, the freight charged on a bale of cotton being from $l'25 
to $1 50. 

Bastrop is situated nearly in the centre of the parish and about two 
miles from the Bartholomew. It is on hilly land, surrounded by an 
abundance of pine timber, and exceedingly healthy. It has all the 
advantages of any country town in the State, nossesses an enterprising 
newspaper, tae Morehouse Clarion, a daily n ail, churches and schools 
in abundance, a fine brick court-house, situated in the centre of the 
town, and all the social, religious and educational advantages desirable. 
It boasts of a large number of stores, built mainly of brick, and does 
a thriving business with all parts of the parish, as well as with other 
and neighboring parishes. 

Climate.— The climate of the parish is excellent, being moderate both 
in winter and summer. The pine lands are the healthiest section, as 
on the lowlands subject to overflow chills and fever sometimes prevail 
in the summer, following an overflow. All things considered, however, 
the parish suffers from few evils and can make a showing of an un- 
usually large number of aged persons, eighty and over, 

Sshools and Churches.— There is no lack of schools and churches. 
Of the latter Morebouse boasts of no less than twenty-eight ; among 
which there are three Episcopal and one Catholic church, and Baptist. 
Presbyterian and Methodist in abundance. 

Bastrop has two colleges, one for boys and one for girls ; also, two 
public schools, for whites and blacks respectivelv, besides a nnmber of 

{)rivate seminaries. And every other neighborhood in the parish haa 
ike advantages. 



180 LOUISIANA. 



Water.— Natural springs abound, and where none of these are to be 
found the people depend on wells and cisterns. In the alluvial lands 
cisterns are mainly used, although dug and driven wells are also em- 
ployed, the drove well being a favorite, and costing about $20. In the 
hills wells are dug usually about sixty feet, when fine, cold and pure 
water is obtained. 

Other Advantages.-— Among other advantages that Morehouse may 
boast of are its roads. It contains also fine water-power on the nu- 
merous streams pouring into the Ouachita, and where good sites for 
gins, mills, etc., exist. 



NATCHITOCHES. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population : 19,707. White 7638, colored 12,069. 

Area : 1290 square miles. Woodland, all. Long-leaf pine hills, 600 
square miles; oak uplands, 300 square miles; Eed river bottom, 390 
sqnare miles. 

Tilled land: 58,969 acres. Area planted in cotton 26,784 acres; in 
corn, 17,871 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 197 acres ; in sugar cane, 28 acre3. 

Cotton production: 15,320 bales; average cotton product per acre, 
0.57 bale, 816 pounds seed cotton, or 272 pounds cotton lint. 

Natchitoches is one of the oldest parishes in the State, and, although 
nearly one- half of its area is hilly pine land, it ranks third in popula- 
tion and fifth in cotton production among the upland parishes. The 
chief area of production is, of course, the portion of Bed river bottom 
embraced in its limits and the oak uplands adjoining the same on 
either side. 

South of the old town of Natchitoches, and outside of Red Eiver 
bottom, the uplands are mainly of the pine hills character, varied only 
in the hilly, broken country on Bayou Casatche by the occasional ap- 
pearance of limestone, and of lime-loving trees in the deep, narrow 
valleys, while the hills are often capped with ferruginous sandstone. 
The bluff banks of the river at Natchitoches and Grand Ecore are 
crowned with pines. To the northwestward, however, beyond Spanish 
Lake, the pine is absent, and rolling oak-uplands, with an admixture 
of short-leaf pine among the timber, and with a reddish loam soil of 
fair fertility, take the place of the pine hills. These oak-uplands are 
substantially identical in character with those of the adjoining par- 
ishes of Sabine and De Soto. 

North of Red River the long-leaf pine appears on the bluff at Campti, 
forming a tract isolated from the main body of the long-leaf pine hills 
farther north and east, by the lowlands bordering on Black Lake, with 
their growth of oaks and short-leaf pine. 

ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT OF JOS. HENRY, WILLOW P. O. 

Seven-eighths of all the land cultivated is the red alluvial soil of the 
Red River bottom. The timber is pecan, oak, ash, elm, hackberry, 
locust, cypress. The (front land) soil is porous, as much as twenty 
feet in depth ; pretty well drained. The crops grown are cotton, corn, 
sweet potatoes, and some tobacco for home use. Cotton and sweet po- 
tatoes are the chief crous, the former occupying two-thirds of the cul- 
tivated land. The plant frequently attains a height of eight feet, but 
is most productive at live feet. The land produces 2000 pounds of seed 
cotton when fresh ; after fifteen years' cultivation, about 1800. About 
1460 pounds are needed for a 450-pound bale of lint ; the staple rates 



OUACHITA PARISH. 181 



good middling. Perhaps one-eighths of land once cultivated lies out 
now; when again cultivated it produces nearly as well as fresh land. 
The most troublesome weeds are cocklebur and rag-weed. 

Tne prevalence of south winds is thought to be especially favorable 
to the growth and productiveness of cotton. 

Communication with market is by Red river steamers to New 
Orleans ; freight on cotton $1 per bale. 



ORLEANS PARISH. 

Population, 216,090. White, 158,367 ; colored, 57,723. 

Area, 187 square miles. Alluvial land, 20 square miles ; marsh. 167 
square miles. 

Tilled land, 4,436 acres. Area planted in cotton, 7 acres ; in corn, 35 
acres : in sweet potatoes, 48 acres ; in sugar cane, 1,162 acres. 

Cotton production, 12 bales; average cotton product per acre, 1.71 
bales, 2,442 pounds seed-cotton, or 814 pounds cotton lint. 

The city of New Orleans and its suburbs, with a population of 216,090 
covers nearly all of the higher land lying within Orleans parish. The 
rear of the city itself almost touches the swamp land, originally tim- 
bered with cypress, passing into the marsh prairie that borders Lake 
Pontchartrain with a depth of from 3 to 4 miles. The Great Levee 
protects the city front from the flood-waters of the Mississippi ; but the 
enemy not uncommonly finds its way to the rear, through breaks in 
levees above or below, not so well cared for, when the northern part of 
the city suffers more or less from water. Bayou St. John and Gentilly, 
heading near that part of the city, then serve to convey the overflow 
into Lake Pontchartrain. 

The New Orleans and Mobile railroad traverses the portion of the 
parish lying between lakes Borgne and Pontchartrain, a region of lit- 
tle else than swamp and marsh prairie, of which small tracts are 
gradually being reclaimed for market gardens. The body of those 
supplying the New Orleans vegetable market, lie however, above the 
city, in the adjoining parishes of Jefferson, St. Charles and St. John 
Baptist. 

The parish of Orleans produced in the season of 1880-81 797 hogs- 
heads of sugar and 7657 barrels of rice. 



OUACHITA. 

Population : 14,685. White, 4502 ; colored, 10,183. 

Area : 640 square miles. Woodland, all. Alluvial land, 340 square 
miles; long-leaf pine hills, 190 square miles; oak uplands, 110 square 
miles. 

Tilled land : 48,847 acres. Area planted in cotton, 29,040 acres ; in 
corn, 13,143 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 379 acres ; in sugar cane, 36 acres. 

Cotton production : 18,729 bales ; average cotton product per acre, 
0.64 bale, 918 pounds seed-cotton, or 306 pounds cotton lint. 

Ouachita parish, nearly equally divided between upland on the west 
and lowland on the east, has long-leaf pine hills of the usual charac- 
ter in its southwestern portion ; the lower slopes of the ridges bearing 
an oak growth, while the crests are sandy and covered with long-leaf 
pine, the latter gradually disappearing as the Bayou Castor is ap- 
proached. 

The northwestern portion has hilly oak-uplands with admixture of 
short-leaf pine, as in the adjoining part of Union parish. Among the 
©ak and hickory timber of these uplands the large-leaved magnolia 



182 LOUISIANA. 



(Magnolia macrophylla) is noteworthy, being rare elsewhere in the State. 
It usually denotes a soil rich in lime, and therefore thrifty. In the 
lowland swamps the genuine tupelo (Nyssa uniflora) forms a promi- 
nent (and, in Louisiana, somewhat unusual) feature. 

Between the long-leaf pine hills and the oak uplands west of Monroe 
there lies an extensive cypress brake, known as Cheniere au Tondre, 
I'mbraeing about seven square miles. Numerous bayous emptying into 
1 lain brake overflow much land, and render it difficult to reclaim. 

The area lying east of the Washita River is wholly alluvial, except 
only a narrow upland ridge, with oaks and short-leaf pine, which lies 
between the River and Bayou Lafourche. Much of the alluvial land is 
above any overflow experienced so far. This is especially the case with 
"the Island," lying between the Washita River and Bayou De Siard, 
which is considered the garden spot of the region, producing both corn 
and cotton. 

On the Washita River, near Monroe, the prevalent timber growth is 
water oak, sycamore, honey locust and black locust, indicating a soil 
containing much lime. 

The river and navigable bayous render the alluvial country very easy 
of access, and afford great facilities for transportation of produce. 



PLAQUEMINES PARISH. 

NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 

Plaquemines parish is situated on both sides of the Mississippi river 
below New Orleans. It extends to the ends of all the " passes" or 
mouths of the river, embraces within its limits many of the islands 
immediately off the southeastern coast of the State, and is separated 
from Jefferson parish on the west by Bayous Barataria, Dupont and 
St. Denis and by Barataria Bay. In length it reaches a hundred miles 
along the Mississippi River. 

About ninety-nine one-hundredths of the cultivable portion of this 
parish lies along both banks of the Mississippi River, within sixty miles 
of its northern parochial boundaries, or above the forts Jackson and 
St. Philip. The lands below the points designated, or along the last 
forty miles of the river and passes being low, unprotected by levees, 
and subject to frequent tidal overflow from the Gulf, are totally unfit 
for cultivation, and will be until levees, both front and rear, are built 
and a resort is had to artificial drainage. 

The land is arable along the river above the forts named at an aver- 
age distance or "depth" from either bank of about one-half mile. 

The population of this parish live and its productions are grown 
almost exclusively within this region of sixty square miles. A small 
proportion of its inhabitants live at the pilot villages and marine sta- 
tions on Pass-a-1'Outre, Southwest and South Passes, while a few of its 
people dwell upon the "chenieres" and ridges that rise above the sea 
marsh or upon the low sand islands of the coast. 

About four-fifths of the total area of the parish is swamp and sea 
marsh, a portion of which lands may be reclaimed at a remote date, 
but of which the greater part is covered with the "Marais Tremblante" 
or floating prairie; beneath this hard bottom is often too deep or dis- 
tant for discovery. 

There is comparatively little timber country in Plaquemines. That 
which remains is the live oak on the isolated chenieres and cypress in 
deep swamps. Sugar house furnaces and abandoned saw mills have 
long ago consumed almost all the accessible wood and timber. To-day 
there is not a lumber mill in the parish, and its thirty-five sugar manu- 
factories use coal and bagasse almost exclusively for fuel. The remain. 



PLAQUEMINES PARISH. 183 



ing wooded land affords plenty of fuel for domestic purposes, and an 
abundance of cypress for fencing more lasting than the famed cedar of 

Lebanon. ,..,,.. ^. , 

The public lands within the parochial limits are comparatively value- 
less. They are located in the unreclaimed and probably irreclaimable 
marshes. Almost every square foot of soil that will bear the weight of 
a man and a mule has been entered, and the greater part of it has 
passed through the trying ordeal of Spanish, French and American 
titles, till they are unassailably and irreproachably fixed. All the 
valuable lands are private property. 

Value of Lands— Sugar plantations, stocked in cane and drained by 
means of machinery, and bearing orange groves, command from $100 
to $500 per square acre. . 

Terms for Leases.— The rice lands are freely rented at prices ranging 
from $7 50 to $10 per square acre, or at the rate of a barrel and a half 
or two barrels of rough rice for every acre planted, payable after the 
crop has been harvested. These lands are generally already ditched, 
levied and prepared for irrpgation. Lands suitable for cultivation in 
cane, corn or garden truck, thoroughly ditched and deeply drained 
(often by steam machinery) command from $10 to $30 per acre on an- 
nual leases. Probably longer leases could be obtained at lower figures. 
Various methods of share-working in the sugar fields have been 
tried. That which we believe to be practised to the largest extent is 
for the landlord to furnish the tenant with lodging, land, seed, teams 
and implements, in return for which the tenant is expected to deliver 
the cane produced to the landlord's mill or manufactory at $2 50perton. 
Where small farmers cultivated cane entirely at their own expense 
they sell it. at the large manufactories for $4 and $5 per ton. 

Productions.— The staple productions of this parish, named in the 
order of their value, are sugar, rice, oranges, corn and farm and garden 
vegetables In 1878-9 the crop of the two former was 13,000 hogsheads 
of sugar, 19.000 barrels of molasses and 56,000 barrels of clean vice. In 
1853-4 the sugar cJop of the parish, produced on a larger number of 
plantations, was 24,000 hogsheads. However, the annual average pro- 
duction of rice at that time was not over 10,000 barrels. 

Sugar —There are at present in the parish of Plaquemines thirty- 
five active sugar plantations. Three of its former plantations have 
been devoted to rice culture, two to pasturage, while three more have 
been absorbed into adjoining plantations. Of the thirty-five in active 
operation, eighteen are equipped with .improved machinery, using the 
vacuum and centrifugal process. Of those now using the open kettle 
process, probably three will be fitted with the more modern machinery 
before the season closes. . „', , , ,, . • , , 

From the most complete, statistics obtainable the following yields 
per acre and per ton of cane are gathered : A crop of 297 acres of 
cane, consisting of 122 acres of plant cane with 175 acres of first and 
second year's stubble, yielded in 1879-80, (5974 tons of cane, from which 
were extracted 856,000 pounds of sugar and 30,000 gallons molasses, be- 
ing 23 48-100 tons cane per acre, and 2882 pounds dry sugar per acre, 
and 122 73-100 pounds dry sugar per ton. Three other crops of the 
same year are quoted ; one of a little more than 400 acres returned 
over 1,100,000 pounds of sugar, another of 370 acres produced 940,000 
pounds sugar and 1200 barrels molasses, and the third grinding about 
340 acres, yielded 825,000 pounds sugar. The average yield throughout 
the parish was probably less than 2000 pounds sugar and 120 gallons 
molasses to the acre. . 

Re urns for Labor.— An entire crop of cane has been cited as having 
Yielded 23 48-100 tons to the acre. The maximum tonnage irom this 
parish, yielded on four or five acres of a plantation forty-two miles be- 
low New Orleans, was forty-two tons to the acre. Other plantations 



184 LOUISIANA. 



report a maximum yield of thirty-eight tons, while a yield of thirty- 
five tons has been frequently obtained. It seems plausible, therefore, 
to consider a yield of twenty tons to the acre within the bounds of ab- 
solute certainty. One man cannot properly cultivate ten acres ef cane, 
yet four men, with two mules, can cultivate forty acres and raise 
enough corn and forage for their team besides. They should be able 
to make seed enough to plant one-third of their land every year and 
cut 800 tons for grinding. With sugar at its present price tnis would be 
worth at least $4000. The value of the salable crop would thus be 
$1000 per capita for the laborers, provided these laborers were inde- 
pendent of the manufactory in land, team and supplies. The labor 
usually employed on the sugar plantations is distributed at the rate of 
about one first-class hand to every seven acres of cane cultivated, and 
double this force night and day during harvesting. In cultivating sea- 
son the "gross" wages paid amount to nearly $30 per month ; that is, 
$10 cash, $5 for rations, $5 estimated value lodging laborer and family, 
and fuel, garden patches and other privileges worth $2 or $3 per month. 
In harvesting or "rolling" common laborers obtain gross wages 
amounting to nearly $50 per month for sixteen hours daily labor— ten 
hours day work at $25 per month, six hours night work at $12 50 to $15 
per month, and board worth from $8 to $12. 

Rice.— This parish produced before the war nearly two-thirds of the 
total rice crop of the State of Louisiana. Since the war its proportion 
of the total production has decreased to less than one-third, but has 
^ actually increased in quantity five-fold. The enormous increase in the 
crop was due to its extension into hitherto idle lands, to the entire de- 
votion of several large sugar plantations to this culture, and to the 
planting of the lowlands on several other large sugar plantations in 
rice. 

A very large proportion of the crop in Plaquemines is grown by white 
farmers, who work in their own fields, cultivating farms of from 20 to 
200 acres in extent. 

There is proportionately more white labor engaged in rice growing 
in this parish than is employed in the production of any other crop in 
the South, and here it is a fact worthy of note that the most arduous 
labors to be performed in rice culture fall in the months of June and 
August. 

A fair yield of the crop is considered here to be twelve barrels of 
rough rice to the acre. The maximum reported was twenty-four bar- 
rels to the acre from forty acres on the Oakland plantation in 1878. 

Value of One Man's Labor.— It is considered that an industrious 
man can cultivate fifteen acres of rice and produce therefrom 180 bar- 
rels of rough rice, worth, at present prices, $5 per barrel. It is also 
held that, and with some show of justice, an intelligent as well as 
energetic laborer can cultivate twelve acres and produce therefrom 180 
barrels, and that of a better quality. 

This is. properly speaking, an eight months' crop. In fact, many of 
the laborers of the rice fields and the smaller farmers are employed 
three or four months of the year on sugar plantations, earning plant- 
ing and harvesting wages. The monthly wages paid hands who work 
in the rice fields are larger than those received by the corresponding 
class on sugar plantations. The former class have to contend against 
the disadvantages of working in the water and summer harvesting. 
The wages paid rice hands are from sixty cents to $1 per day during 
plowing, planting and "grassing" or weeding, and from $1 to $1 50 
during harvesting. 

There are three first-class rice mills located in various portions of 
this parish, which establishments clean and prepare for market a very 
large proportion of its product. 



PLAQUEMINES PARISH. 185 



Orange Groves.— Cultivation of the orange has been carried on here 
since the organization of the parochial government. In fact, it is 
claimed that some of the trees in the lower part of the parish are over 
a hundred years old. In the central and southern portion of the par- 
ish, on the west bank of the river, orange culture has been almost 
uniformly a profitable business. The most favored location for the 
tree is on the right bank of the river from a point forty-three miles 
below New Orleans, to a short distance above Fort Jackson. On the 
the thirty miles of coast designated there is almost a continuous grove 
of orange trees. The largest solid grove is fifty-seven miles below 
New Orleans. This is 100 acres in extent, and contains ten thousand 
trees. Another, forty-seven miles below the city, is composed of over 
four thousand trees. The most productive groves are situated in " Bu- 
ras settlement," along several miles of the river bank immediately 
above Fort Jackson. The annual return from full grown orange groves 
in the favored locations mentioned is from $100 to $200 per acre. The 
hundred acre grove yielded fruit last season which sold for $12,000. 
Smaller groves have often returned more than $200 per acre. 

Lands planted in bearing orange trees command almost fabulous 
prices. Some of them could not be purchased for $500 per square acre. 
A full bearing grove is not obtained till at least ten years after the seed 
is planted, unless grafted upon sour orange stocks, or from six, seven 
or eight years after the trees have been transplanted from the nursery; 
trees in the nursery are worth from ten to fifty cents each. During the 
first three or four years' growth of the young trees the groves may be 
planted in crops which are not exhausting, though this is considered a 
doubtful policy. After the trees commence bearing little care is re- 
quired to keep the groves in order, though a degree of intelligence and 
skill is required in caring for them which few other fruit trees need. 

The most proiiticfruit in Plaquemines parish, after the orange, is the 
fig, almost every variety of which grows here in prolusion. Excellent 
peaches are also raised. 

The date, lemon, citron and banana are raised in the lower part of 
the parish. These tropical fruits are, however, very uncertain, and 
those raised are kept for home use by the producers. 

The rarest fruits in Plaquemines are the pomegranate and persim- 
mon, though, strange to say, the parish derived its French name from 
the last. 

Among the nut-bearing trees the walnut and pecan thrive particu- 
larly well in this soil. 

Small Farming and Gardening— The fertile soil and mild climate of 
this parish give it superior advantages for small farming and garden- 
ing. Many of the best vegetables and esculents grow here throughout 
the year. The spring and early summer vegetables mature unusually 
early. A profitable business is done on a small scale in supplying the 
market with early potatoes, peas, cauliflower, tomatoes, melons, etc., 
when these command fancy prices and are largely sought. This busi- 
ness could be extended to advantage. A large business is carried on 
by the gardeners in supplying the New Orleans market with its earliest 
melons. 

Every vegetable which -thrives in the temperate zone grows with ex- 
traordinary profusion in this soil. The quality and yield obtained by 
careful cultivation are sufficient to bring remunerative reward to the 
farmer and gardener. 

The potato bug, Colorado bettle and Kansas locust or grasshopper 
are unknown here. 

In the season of 1879-80 fall planted Irish potatoe's ripened in Decem- 
ber; strawberries! matured in February; green peas, cauliflower and 
other spring vegetables were gathered in March; new Irish potatoes 
were dug in quantities in the beginning of April, 

24 



186 LOUISIANA 



Every part of Plaquemines parish is accessible to a market for its 
products within a few hours from their gathering. The remotest part 
of the parish is daily connected with New Orleans by steam and sail. 
Freights are moderate and transit rapid. 

Fish and Game.— The oyster fisheries of Plaquemines have long been 
famous throughout the State, while their reputation has even extended 
into other States of the South. Innummerable bays, bayous and nar- 
row inlets extend from the gulf far into the coast of this parish. The 
shoaler parts of these waters are generally covered with oyster beds. 
The sources of the most abundant supply of this bivalve are the bays 
on the eastern coast in rear of Fort St. Phillip and the Quarantine 
Station, East Bay, between the delta strips of South and Southwest 
Passes, and most of the bayous and bays on the west between the Mis- 
sissippi River and Barataria Bay. Most of the oyster banks are within 
a few hours' sail from the river, and are reached through canals which 
connect with the river or which extend from the rear of plantations 
and farms into the net work of bayous near the southern seaboard. 

The bodies of water designated also abound in immense numbers of 
crabs and sea shrimp or prawn. The business of canning thebe shrimp 
is profitably pursued in New Orleans. It could be probably carried on 
with greater profit on the shores of the bavs of Plaquemines. By far 
the most delicate of all the Crustacea is the river shrimp. These are 
caught in the summer and fall all along the river banks by the bushel. 

All of the finer kinds of Southern fish are accessible to the people 
here. The redsnapper grounds are only a few miles from the southern 
coast, while all the salt bays, lakes and bayous swarm with redfish, 
sheephead, flounder, croakers, speckled trout, Spanish mackerel, 
moonfish and mullet. The fresh water bayous and canals are filled 
with "green trout" or pond bass, goggle-eye perch, sun perch and other 
delicate fish. The Mississippi River affords an unlimited supply of the 
less luscious catfish and caspago. 

From the first of October tiil the beginning of April the marshes, 

f>onds and bayous are frequented by all kinds of water fowl. Count- 
ess flocks of wild geese fly or float over the open bays ; all varieties of 
duck, from the stately canvas-back to the diminutive and delicious 
green-winged teal, feed on the ;?rass flats and marshes ; while the low- 
lands in the rear of the plantations and rice fields abound in snipe and 
several kinds of rail. 

Most of the hunting of feathered game or the waterfowl, particularly, 
is done in small boats called "piroguts." These are made just large 
enough to carry one man and light enough for one man to carry, as the 
occasions requ] res. The onlv four-footed game sought by the white 
population are deer and hare, which are numerous." 

Numbers of» others are trapped for their fur in the marshes around 
the mouths o 1 the river. Their frequency in the locality named caused 
the second la gest mouth of the river to be called Pass-a-Loutre. 

There are between four and five hundred men professionally engaged 
on the waters of these bays and bayous in the oyster fisheries, which 
they c rry on in a hundred or more luggers and other small craft. 
About a hundred more follow fishing and hunting for a living during 
the si x cooler months of the year, while they cultivate small farms and 
gar ens on th« Gulf islands, "chenieres" and bayou banks, and during 
the spring: and summer months. 

Stock Raising, Poultry, Bees, Etc. — The pasturage is good at all sea- 
sons of the year, while forage crops for fattening produce large yields 
with little cultivation. This is notably the case in the yield of pea- 
vine hay, one of the most nourishing articles of food that can be fed 
to stock. 

The native breeds of horses and horned cattle have been kept and 
bred in so long that they are of inferior size, resembling similar races 



PLAQUEMINES PARISH. 187 



belonging to the French Canadians. Thoroughbred horses and horned 
cattle preserve their respective superiority if kept from mingling with 
the native stock. 

The business of fattening cattle for the New Orleans market, or for 
home consumption, is profitably pursued. Inferior and lean cattle are 
purchased at the stock landing in New Orleans immediately after their 
arrival from Texas, and are turned in the fall and winter on the pas- 
ture lands and stubble rice fields in this section. In a few months they 
are greatly improved in weight and condition, and resold in New Or- 
leans at a large prefit, or slaughtered here. 

All of the finer breeds of domestic fowls, except geese, thrive, and 
are prolific in this parish. Geese are discountenanced because they 
are particularly destructive on the young cane and rice. 

The production of honey is extremely profitable. The flowers bloom 
perennially, while a large amount of the spring honey is gathered 
from orange flowers, which furnish the finest marketable quality. 

Climate.— The annual rainfall in this section is sixty inches, accord- 
ing to the most reliable meteorological statistics, The range of the 
thermometer during the three months is from 70 to 90 degrees Fahren- 
heit, the lowest noted being 67° and the highest 96° for a term of ten 
years. The average summer temperature is '83°. In winter the ther- 
mometrical range is from 20° to 80°, the lowest noted during the past 
ten years being 19° in January, 1879. The average winter temperature 
is 56°. 

The summer temperature is, for obvious reasons, lower in Plaque- 
mines parish than it is in regions several degrees further north. 
Plaquemines is a narrow peninsula, projecting into the waters of the 
gulf in a southeasterly direction. The gulf is not more than ten miles 
distant from its central line. The vast volume of water poured by the 
Mississippi Eiver down through its centre, for a hundred niles, assists 
in reducing the temperature. Every breeze that blows over its lands, 
except the northwest wind, is fresh from the sea. The northwest, or 
"land wind," is usually pl?asant. The sea breeze follows the land 
breeze about 1 p. m. in summer, moderating the midday heat. In Au- 
gust, the general direction of the wind is easterly, as the "peninsula" 
is in the track of the northeast trade wind, which blows at that season 
ne\r our coast; hence August is often the most pleasant month of the 
summer here, while its suns are parching interior States several hun- 
dred miles north of us. Thus it can be well understood how white 
laborers can work here in the fields throughout the summer. 

The identical causes and conditions which have served to reduce the 
temperature in summer rob it of its colder rigors in winter. The 
warmer breezes of the gulf sweep over the land, and even the waters 
of the Mississippi Eiver, with an average temperature of about 50°, serve 
to moderate the temperature at times and to partially prevent the dan- 
gers of frost. The cold northwest wind travels down over the less cold 
waters of the river, and frequently crossing and recrossing over their 
surface, has its temperature elevated at least two or three degrees. 
Hence often a "northwester" whose temperature is two or three de- 
grees below the freezing point, and which kills the cane crops above 
New Orleans, comes to Plaquemines, and there, robbed of its icy sting 
by the proximity of the warmer waters of the gulf and by the surface 
of the river, blows over the sugar fields and leaves them comparatively 
unscathed. That wonderful certainty of the stubble cane crop in thi3 
parish, njted with so much interest by planters of other localities, is 
simply due to the fact that from the above mentioned causes the win- 
ter climate here happens to be a few degrees milder than it is in other 
portions of the sugar district. 

Population : Whites 4251, blacks 7324. The larger portion of the 
white population are French Creoles or descendants of the old French 



188 LOUISIANA. 



colonial settlers. The Anglo-Saxon is next most numerously repre- 
sented among the whites, and a sprinkling of Austrians (Dalmatians), 
Italians, Spaniards and L)aues form the remainder. A small Asiatic 
population of Chinese and Manillese is not enumerated. The largest 
numerical proportion of the agricultural class is engaged in rice cul- 
ture. Those engaged in sugar culture employ more capital and culti- 
vate a greater acreage. 

More than 10,000 of this population is located within the sixty square 
miles along the river, which embraces the sugar, rice and orange 
region. The inhabitants in the section named number 170 to the 
square mile. 

The villages and towns within this district are Point-a-la-Hache, the 
parish seat, about its centre; Jesuit's Bend, in the northern part, and 
Buras Settlement, in the southern part. Beyond the agricultural dis- 
trict there are Pilot Town and Port Eads, on the mouths of the river. 
The old Belize, a former town in that locality, has been abandoned. 

The Catholic religion is the most largely represented among the 
people of this parish. There are four consecrated churches and organ- 
ized congregations— three Catholic and one Episcopalian. The Roman 
Catholic churches are placed at Jesuit's Bend, Point-a-la-Hache and 
Buras Settlement, and the Episcopal church on the west bank of the 
river opposite Point-a-la-Hache. There are, besides these, various 
chapels and school-houses where religious services are held at intervals. 

There are several well ordered and efficient private schools in the 
parish, and separate public schools for white and colored pupils in the 
wards. The number of organized public schools is twenty-one ; active 
seventeen ; white ten ; colored schools seven. 

The class of buildings for private residences is above the average 
among country residences, being generally substantial brick or frame 
dwellings. Building materials are extraordinarily cheap. Pine and 
cypress lumber is delivered at building sites at barely a profit over the 

Srime cost in the heart of the lumber regions. Freights are low, either 
y fiatboat, sail or steam. 

The health of Plaquemines parish is generally good. It has never 
been more than once within the past twenty years visited by any fevers 
in an epidemic form. Typhoid fever is a rarity. The most prevalent 
form of fever is intermittent during the summer rainy season. Of 
other ills that flesh is heir to, pulmonary affections, diseases of the 
digestive organs and eruptive complaints, it can probably claim less than 
its share ; but humanity suffers here from ithese afflictions as well as 
everywhere else. Great longevity is common and infantile mortality 
at a low rate. There is a medical association in the parish. There 
are seven practicing physicians and two at the quarantine, the most of 
whom are graduates of the foremost medical universities in the coun- 
try—the schools of New Orleans, Philadelphia and New York. 

Immigration.— No organized efforts have been made to attract im- 
migration to the fields of this parish for several years. Ten years ago 
two or three hundred Chinese were introduced; but few of these re- 
main at present. Several colonies of Italians were introduced on dif- 
ferent plantations, about haif of whom are probably living in the 
parish now. An abundance of white labor comes here from other 
States and parishes during the harvesting seasons, when wages are 
high, and of these a few remain every year. 

It'has been shown that white laborers cultivate the fields of this 
parish throughout the entire summer, and that they produce a very 
large proportion of its crops. It is reasonable, therefore, to suppose 
that other white laborers could come here and till the soil, or that 
white farmers from other States and countries could purchase or lease 
the land, live and get their crops cultivated. Whatever inducements 
they have to bring them here have been faithfully portrayed in the 



POINT COUPEE PARISH. . ISO 



above lines; the drawbacks of drainage by artificial means, leveeing, 
etc., have also been depicted. The security of protection from Hood, 
guaranteed by the National Government in any levee act or law, would 
overcome one of these objections to settlement. 

The figures used above concerning agricultural statistics have not 
been gathered from heresay reports or random estimates ; they have 
been obtained from careful and accurate compilations of the labor 
actually performed. The same may be done in future years as long as 
terrestrial conditions remain tue same, or as long as the human mind 
is forced to devise the means and plans of providing for a subsistence 
and human muscle executes them. 

To summarize the chief poinrs of what has been written: The pro- 
duct of an industrious and intelligent man's labor is worth from $700 
to $1,000 ; the gross wages paid to common agricultural laborers vary 
according to the season from $25 to $50 per month. 

The soil is of inexhaustible fertility; it is easily cultivated; there is 
not a rock or stone to blunt the plow in 25,000 acres of land. Intelli- 
gence and industry directed here to agricultural pursuits can reap re 
wards such as are returned to willing labor in few other agricultural 
regions. The same rewards, however, await the husbandman and har- 
vest-hand in every rich parish in Southern Louisiana. The time will 
come when that magnificent region will teem with population like the 
banks of the Rhine or the vine hills of France. As a land of promise 
it invites the sturdy yoemanry of the Eastern and Western Continents. 



POINTE COUPEE PARISH. 

nON. H. SKIPWITH,.IN NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 

This parish is somewhat abnormal in its social and industrial char- 
acteristics. It is divided into separate agricultural colonies, eacn in 
grofound ignorance of what the other is doing ; the tie3 of neighbor- 
ood would perhaps be much closer if the ravages of the periodical 
floods which overflow the parish from the waters flowing in at the 
Grand or Morganza levee could be permanently checked, and there the 
agricultural industries which have languished for the whole 
period to which the settlement of the parish dates back, except for a 
few years of protection which existed before the war, would speedily 
revive. The vigilance of the agriculturist has reclaimed for the plow 
every acre which it would be safe to invest their labor on, and still 
after summing up fairly the results, three-fourths of the soil is surren- 
dered to the floods. On the Grosse Tete, a navigable bayou on the 
west border of the parish, there are only about 5450 acres in cultivation, 
and in the same region there are fully 13,000 acres subject to overflow. 
On the False river, where the oldest community of the parish is seated, 
the proportion of cultivatable land is about the same. At Poydras Col 
lege, which has a front of two arpents on False river, and which is 
about the centre of the False river community, the depth free from 
overflow is only sis arpents. The condition of the settlements around 
the old post of Pointe" Coupee is nearly as bad. " The Island," in pro- 
portion to area, is less disastrously affected by the floods than any 
other pa^t of the parish. Although of late years the narrow strip of 
land which lays between False river and the Baton Rouge line has 
been exceptionally free from overflow, because the floods are kept out 
of False river and the flow of the waters is forced west of the thriving 
settlements south of False river, which are rapidly growing up as ex- 
emption from overflow becomes more assured. 

They owe that exemption measurably to the fact that they are out 
of the track of the floods from the crevasse, and to the fact that the 



1 90 LOUISIANA. 



protection of "The Island" depends upon keeping the floods out of 
False Biver. To the fortunate exemptions, already enumerated, may 
be added the land aloug the Bayou Fordoehe, along the Missis- 
sippi, and in a small tract of country about six miles long and six 
miles wide, called the Canebrake— in all adding a surface of nearly 28,- 
000 acres of productive land, protected from overflow by a legalized 
ievee system, which compels all lands tributary to the system to pay a 
-mall annual tax for protection. Until the levees were built none of 
i he lands on the Bayous Fordoehe, Maringouin and Grosse Tete, nor 
in the! Canebrake section, were considered safe from overflow. The 
levee district created by the special act extends down the Maringouin 
and Grosse Tete into the parish of Iberville, and it is not an overesti- 
mate to say that 60,000 acres of land are already reclaimed for the plow 
by the direct influence of the special act. In view of the reclamations 
from the floods already detailed, it must be admitted that the signs 
point to a revival of the agricultural industries of Pointe Coupee, which 
nave languished for two centuries from the inability of man without 
organization to cope with the wild waters of tne annual overflow of the 
Father of Waters. It is pleasant to dwell upon the probable develop- 
ment of such a magnificent soil in such a genial climate to its full 
capacity, which will ensue upon the locking out of the waters by the 
construction of solid levees at Morganza and Grand Levee, which will 
add to production a half million of acres now lying waste and idle in 
the parishes of Pointe Coupee, West Baton Bouge and Iberville alone. 
What a vast field of wealth is presented to immigrant labor in these 
hitherto slandered lands. 

The Grosse Tete, a navigable bayou, and the Baton Bouge and Grosse 
Tete Bailroad afford ample and cheap means of shipment for the crops 
of sugar, molasses and cotton raised upon the Bayous Fordoehe and 
Maringouin, and in the Canebrake countries, all lying in the far west- 
ern border of the parish. Hermitage, on the Mississippi Biver, at the 
lower dyke of False Biver, and Waterloo, also on the Mississippi, at 
the upper dyke of False Biver, are convenient shipping points for all 
the produce raised upon False River, upon "The Island" and upon the 
narrow strip of land between False Biver and the West Baton Bouge 
line. Further up the river are Morganza, situated just at the head of 
Bayou Fordoehe, and "New Texas," three miles above, both of which 
are used as shipping points for the produce raised along the Fordoehe, 
and even reaching back to the Canebrake plantations. New Texas 
ships much the largest quanity of produce. It is a very flourishing 
business point, fifteen miles above Bayou Sara, and eleven miles from 
the Atchafalaya by the State road, which was constructed by the State 
in better days, and has since the war been so much neglected that it 
has become useless as a thoroughfare. New Texas ships annually 4000 
bales of cotton and 500 hogsheads of sugar, produced chiefly by the 
communities working along the banks of Bayou Fordoehe and Lati- 
nache, and from the Canebrake. It has besides the shipments of sugar 
and cotton a very large and important branch of business in the re- 
ceiving, cleaning and shipping of moss, an article of trade which adds 
to the productive wealth of the parish at least $50,000 per annum. 

Mr. Oubre, who conducts a large mercantile and shipping business 
at New Texas, is also a manufacturer on a small scale, he being the 
owner of a steam gin which can gin and bale thirty bales per diem, 
and a moss picker which cleans and bales twenty bales of moss per 
day. He is likewise a producer on a small scale, having produced on 
his premises si sty barrels of onions per acre, which he shipped to St. 
Louis and sold them on an average of $6 per barrel. His Irish potato 
crop, which ripens as the onions do in April, yields even more barrels 
per acre, but he can scarcely say that he has realized as much as $3 75 
par barrel for potatoes. Moss, onions and Irish potatoes supply the 



POINT COUPEE PARISH. 101 



laborers who have been unemployed through the winter months with 
an early supply of means wherewith to embark in the main crops of 
cane, cotton and corn. The moss gathering is an industry 
which is dependent upon the receding of the floods, and 
the top of every cypress tree which has been felled by the 
swampers in the track of the crevasse affords many hundred 
pounds of well-rotted moss. One thousand pounds is not an extraor- 
dinary yield for a day's toil. At SI 40 per hundred in its uncleaned 
state it yields the gatherer $14. What other country presents a more 
remunerative industry? And the money flows in at a period of the 
year when the laborer needs it most to help him pick his main crops. So, 
too, with the proceeds of the onions and potatoes which ripen in April. 
The importance of the spring crops can only be estimated by keeping 
in mind that many acres of the main crop of cotton and corn are 
planted in the mud as the waters from the crevasse recede, which oc- 
cur usually in May, and the labor to plant and cultivate these late 
planted crops is paid for by the receipts from the spring crops of moss, 
onions and potatoes. 

It may be judged, from the facilities for market already enumerated, 
that the communities throughout are well served in that respect ; but 
above New Texas there are quite a number of points which receive and 
forward the groceries and general supplies for the communities behind 
them and receive and ship all the produce which they raise. The prin- 
cipal of those above are William sport, Eaccourci, Hog Point and Bed 
Eiver Landing, at one or the other of which the heavy crop produced 
on the Latinache and the Letsworth find an outlet to market. 

"Bayou Letsworth.— This bayou formerly flowed out of the old river, 
opposite Turnbull's Island below the mouth of Bed Eiver and emptied 
twelve miles below into the old river opposite Eaccourci Island, near 
the village of Wilhamsport. Both ends are now closed forming a long 
narrow lake of clear water, which abounds in fish of many varieties. 

Between Bayou Letsworth and Eed Eiver landing are the Moreau 
Lakes, famous as the breeding place, in summer, of water fowls, and 
as the feeding grounds of myriads of ducks in winter. 

The bayou is bordered on either side with cotton plantations, the 
planters' residences standing a short distance back in magnificent 
groves of forest trees. Large canebrakes are in the rear of the planta- 
tions. Here are found innumerable deer, some bear and an occasional 
panther. The Letsworth soil is a red sandy loam, easily tilled and 
very productive. Altogether this is the most desirable portion of the 
parish." 

Along the banks of the Atchafalaya, for twenty miles westward be- 
hind the levee, are some of the most fertile plantations in the parish- 
After that they cease for the want of a protecting levee, and not by any 
means from any diminution of the productive capacity of the soil. It 
has been demonstrated that the soil of Pointe Coupee is composed en- 
tirely of rich allnvial deposits ; that it is nearly all of it penetrated by 
or within easy reach of some available wat er highway,and that f our-fi fths 
of it is still lying waste and idle, the agriculturist having been checked 
in endeavors heretofore by the prevalence of annual overflows, 
which are caused by breaks in Grand and Morgan za levees, and in the 
northwestern extreme by the total want of a levee system for the 
Atchafalaya. Its climate is softened by the presenoe everywhere of 
lakes and bayous, and this last feature gives assurance of greater se- 
curity for harvesting the late crops— cane and cotton - in the autumn, 
and for realizing at the earliest from the spring crops, such as onions 
and Irish potatoes. When all the soil shall be reclaimed from the de- 
vastating floods this"parish,with its 338,0UU acres of as good land as can 
be found on any part of the globe, will become a miracle of productive 
wealth, and when that shall come to pass more steamboats and more < 



192 LOUISIANA. 



railroads will have to be built to move its enormous productions of 
sugar, rice, cotton, potatoes and onions, and more merchants will be 
reaping princely revenues for handling them. 

On the Atchafalaya River, a region on its north and west border, are 
some of its most productive farms, protected by a levee commencing 
at the Mississippi River, extending down the Atchafalaya River about 
ten miles below Simmsport. 

Its Cypress relts.— As an element of wealth yet to be realized allu- 
sion should, in the spirit of truth, be made to its two exhausfcless belts 
of cypress timber- -one east of the Grosse Tete, in the basin between 
Grosse Tete and False River ; the other lying between Bayou Fordoche 
and the Atchafalaya, the last extending down the banks of Bayou 
Alabama These are said to be the richest reserves of cypress now "left 
standing in Louisiana. Percolated as they are by navigable streams, 
they are destined to fill a conspicuous niche in the catalogue of Louis- 
iana's industries. There are no cultivated plantations now below 
Churchville, a village on the St. Landry side of the Atchafalaya. Be- 
fore the war there were several, and some as low down as Alabama 
Island, which were up to the war producing as high as GOO bales of 
cotton. 



RAPIDES PARISH. 

BY A CITIZEN. 

Position and Extent— Rapides Parish occupies a position immediately 
south of the centre of the State, and is one of the range of parishes 
through which Red River flows, The parish lies between 31° and 32° 
north latitude, or on a line passing east and west through the extreme 
southern portions of Alabama and Georgia. The 15° 30' meridian of 
longitude west from Washington passes through the parish. In ex- 
tent it is about thirty-seven miles square— its outline being spmewhat 
irregular— and has an area of 1320 square miles, or 845,000 acres. 

General Description— The Valley Country.— Rapides parish embraces 
the upper portion of the Red River delta; the river flows diagonally 
across it from northwest to southeast, and its course through the par- 
ish, by the ineanderings of the stream, is about sixty miles in length. 
The valley lies mainly on the west side and has on average width of 
about ten' miles. Through this alluvial territory west of Red River, 
and nearly parallel with it, flow the Bayous Rapides, Robert and Boeuf, 
forming almost a continuous stream. The distance intervening be- 
tween the river and these bayous varies from two to about seven miles. 
In this section the plantations and farms which are contiguous are 
located on the river and along the bayous, near which stand the resi- 
dences of the planters and the quarters for laborer? • here, also, are 
located the sugar mills, cotton gins, and the other bu'ldings of the 
farm, and near the margins of these streams run the highways which 
traverse the country. The section which is here described occupies 
the middle portion of the parish, extending across it from north to 
south. It may be defined as a plain, intersected at intervals by broad 
natural canals, called bayous, which serve a two-fold purpose— they 
carry away the surplus water from rains, and retain a supply for stock 
and of the other wants of the farm during dry seasons. Nearly the whole 
of the territory here described is above overflow, and every acre can 
be reclaimed and brought into cultivation. 

This section is by far the richest portion of the parish, and here are 
found many of the largest and most productive cotton and sugar plan- 
tations in the State ; it was originally covered with dense canebrakes, 
but these have been destroyed by the inroads of herds of stock, or have 



POINT COUPEE PARISH. 193 



given place to the varied crop3 produced in this portion of Louisiana. 
The uncleared parts are covered with dense forests of oaks, cypress, 
ash and other timber, with a thick undergrowth of vines and small 
trees, which furnish an abundant supply for fuel, fencing and building 
purposes. The population of the parish is most dense in this section, 
and here is concentrated the bulk of the negro population. The land- 
scape which meets the eye as the traveler journeys through this 
charming and delightful country is highly pleasing, and everything 
attests the prodigal hand with which nature has bestowed her choicest 
gifts. During summer, continuous fields of luxuriant cotton, corn, 
sugar cane and various other crops greet the view upon every hand, 
and extend across the whole breadth of the parish from north to south. 
Proceeding along the bayous with their green, sloping batiks and in- 
viting shade there are encountered at intervals the residences of the 
planters, surrounded with beautiful groves. The area of this section 
is about 250,000 acres. 

The Western Section of the parish is an upland country, through 
which run numerous creeks, communicating with the Calcasieu River or 
the bayous in the Red River valley. It has a considerable 
population, mainly of whites. They are thrifty farmers and stock- 
raisers, who have* settled .along the streams and creeks, where the 
lands are quite productive. The surface is generally rolling and in 
parts hilly, and is covered with pine forests and in other portions by a 
mixed growth. The great adundance of pure water and its extensive 
range for stock render it attractive to those who would combine farm- 
ing and stock raising. The fine timber found here will yet make lum- 
bering the chief industry. 

The Eastern Section.— This portion of the parish is separated from 
the remainder by Red River, and in its general characteristics it is 
similar to the western section. There is a small area of alluvial land 
in the northern part and a small extent of prairie in the southeastern 
portion. The creek* bottoms produce good crops and considerable 
stock is raised. It is a fine lumber region and has good water-power 
facilities. The population is mainly white. 

Population— Character of the People —The total population, as shown 
by the census of 1880, is 24,681. The whites number 12,111 and the ne- 
groes 12,570. The increase in population during the past ten years has 
been about 43 per cent. The white population mainly consists of na- 
tive bom Anglo-Americans, but there are many from other States, a 
considerable number being from the Northern and Eastern sections of 
the Union. There are quite a number of foreigners, including Irish, 
French and German; the French Creoles are few in number. The 
Jews constitute a considerable element of the mercantile community. 

In their general character the people are law-abiding, industrious 
and hospitable. Freedom of thought and speech are recognized as the 
right and privilege of the citizen, and mutual confidence and good 
feelings prevail among all classes. 

Agriculture constitute the chief employment of the people, and they 
are generally contented and prosperous. Extreme poverty does not 
exist, and there are no paupers. The general condition of all classes 
is rapidly improving and the majority, by the exercise of moderate 
frugality, realize a handsome suiplus after the payment of yearly 
expanses. 

Climate and Health.— -The climate is mild during all seasons; the ex- 
tremes of heat and cold are never felt. "Work on the farms is carried 
on throughout the year. The average temperature during winter is 
about 40°, and about 80° in summer. Snow seldom falls and ice is only 
found at intervals during the continuance of cold weather. Streams 
are never frozen. The rainfall is greatest during the winter and early 
spring ; droughts are seldom experienced. 

25 



194 LOUISIANA. 



The healthfulness of the parish is not excelled by any portion of the 
South, and is as nearly perfect as that of any country. Instances of 
longevity among the resident population are quite common. Foreign- 
ers and natives of the higher latitudes experience no inconvenience in 
becoming acclimated, and encounter exposure to all the vicissitudes of 
the weather with the same impunity as the native population. Sun- 
strokes seldom or never occur, and ho enervating effects of climate are 
experienced. 

Towns.— Alexandria, the parish seat, situated upon the west bank of 
Eed River, 150 miles above its mouth, is a town of considerable impor- 
tance, and has a population of 2000. It stands at the head of low wa- 
ter navigation on lied River, and is the business centre and chief ship- 
ping point of an immensly fertile region. It contains numerous 
churches and several schools, and is now rapidly improving. Pine- 
ville, which stands on the opposite side of the river, is the second 
town in the parish, and has about 6?0 inhabitants. A large business is 
done by the merchants of this place, and it ships a large quantily of 
cotton. Cheneyville, Kanomie, Gotile and Lecomte are villages of 
some note. All of them are situated in the valley section. 

Soils.— These may be classed under three heads: 

1. The alluvial is the most productive, and is equally adapted to the 
production of the great staples, cotton and sugar. 

2. The uplands and creek bottoms, on which the soil is generally a 
sandy loam,* varying in depth, quite productive, easy of cultivation, 
and yielding oftentimes a bale of cotton and forty bushels of corn per 
acre. 

3. The pine lands, consisting of a thin soil with an nnder stratum of 
clay, susceptible of being highly enriched by manuring or by the 
application of the ordinary fertilizers. 

Timber.— In the bottoms are found a variety of th'e oak, cypress, ash, 
hackberry, elm, gum, cottonwood, beach, willow and many other 
kinds. On the hills, upon both sides of Red River, the yellow pine 
constitutes almost the entire growth. The saw mills in the parish 
supply the home demand for lumber, and ship large quantities to 
points on the Red and Mississippi Rivers. 

Water.— The parish is well watered. Red River is the principal 
stream flowing through it : Little River touches its eastern border, and 
the intervening territory is intersected by numerous small streams. In 
the western portion the branches of the Calcasieu River, and other 
streams which unite with the bayous in the Red River valley, penetrate 
every part. Water for stock is everywhere plentiful. In the upland 
regions fresh water springs abound ; excellent water may also be ob- 
tained in wells from ten to twenty-live feet in depth. On the river and 
bayous cisterns furnish water for drinking and domestic purposes. 

Minerals. —But little is known of the minerals of the parish. Gyp- 
sum has been discovered near the eastern line of the parish, and iron 
ore has been found in various localities. In the northwestern and 
southwestern portions of the parish there are mineral springs highly 
impregnated with sulphur and other ingredients and possessing valua- 
ble medicinal properties. 

Lanls.— The following table shows the quantities under the several 
headings : Acres. 

Alluvial lands 256,000 

Heavily timbered pine lands.... 350,000 

Creek bottom and hammocks.......... 233,000 

Amount entered -- 520,000 

Amount vacant - 325,000 



POINT COUPEE PABTSII | 195 



Cleared lands 175,000 

Wooded lands 670,000 

Prairie lands 5,500 

School lands 14,500 

The alluvial lands range in value from $5 to $20 per acre, and up- 
lands from %1 to $5. Lands can be purchased in almost any portion 
of the parish. The best alluvial lands can be rented from $3 to $5 per 
about acre and uplands for $1. 

• Agricultural Products.— The principal products are cotton, sugar 
cane, tobacco, oats, rice, peas, broom corn, sorghum, sweet and Irish 
potatoes, besides a great variety of garden vegetables. The average 
yield of these crops, per acre, is about as follows : cotton, from a half 
bale to a bale and a half; sugar cane, from one to twb hogsheads; 
corn, 10 to 60 bushels ; tobacco, 800 to 1,000 pounds. 

Fruits and Vegetables. — A great variety of fruits are grown in the 
parish. The more common are peaches, apples, pears, plums, grapes, 
figs, pomegranites, quinces, nectarines, apricots and melons. Of the 
small fruits, the strawberry and raspberry succeed admirably; black- 
berries and dewberries are indigenous, and here attain their greatest 
perfection. Of the wild fruits may be mentioned the plum, pawpaw, 
persimmon, whortleberry, muscadine, and a variety of grapes, pecans, 
hickory nuts, chinkquapins are plentiful, the black walnut is a native 
also. 

Vegetables may be planted during the early part of the vear com- 
mencing with the month of January and continuing until June. Fall 
gardens which are planted during the month of August, may be made 
to furnish, during favorable seasons, as great a variety as those of 
spring, and they often flourish until December. 

Stock Bai sing. —Stock raising is very profitable. The river and creek 
bottoms afford fine pasturage during the winter, and stock that have 
access to them keep in good condition without feed throughout the 
year. The hill section is" peculiarly adapted to sheep, and, with proper 
attention, profits would reach 100 per cent, in one year. Cattle range 
in value, for grown stock, from $12 to $30. 

Various Industries.— Some experiments were made a good many 
years since in silk culture, but the efforts were not prosecuted for any 
considerable length of time, and no sufficient test has ever been made. 
The conditions are probably as favorable here as anywhere in the 
United States. No factories for cotton, wool, shoes, saddles or wagons 
exist at the present time, but the natural facilities for them aie highly 
favorable, there beingr abundant water-power. 

Fish, Game, Etc.— Fish are plentiful in the rivers, bayous and creeks. 
Tront, bass, mullet, pike, perch, catfish, buffalo, and many other kinds 
are caught from all the streams. The finest trout and perch are caught 
from the clear- water streams in the hills. Deer are numerous; and 
quails, turkeys and woodcocks are found in every locality; waterfowl, 
including ducks, geese, bfants, cranes, etc., frequent the water courses 
during certain seasons. 

Labor and Wages.— On the large cotton and sugar plantations negro 
labor is mainly employed, but there are a considerable number of in- 
dustrious white men with families who have settled on these lands; 
many of them have become proprietors and others rent land. All are 
prosperous and are quite independent. Industrious white men can find 
employment at remunerative wages, and a limited numberof mechanics 
could And steady work. The wages of field hands are from $12 to $18 
per month, with rations, and $1 per day during the busy season. Me- 
chanics receive from $2 to $3 per day, In the share system, the tenant 
receives one- half the crop when team, tools and feed are furnished, and 
one-third when rations are added. 



196 LOUISIANA. 



Schools and Churches.— Educational facilities are only such as are 
afforded by the public school system and a few private schools. There 
have been about twenty public schools distributed throughout the par- 
ish, and it is hoped there may be a sufficiency of funds to keep that 
number open eight months of the year. The principal religious de- 
nominations are the Methodists, Episcopalians and Catholics ; these 
have churches throughout the parish. 

Manufacturing Facilities— Theve is abundant water power afforded 
by the numerous creeks and streams in the parish. This power, as 
yet, is onlv utilized as a motive power for gins and mills, but could be 
made available for factories of various kinds. The volume of water 
that passes through the Bayou Eapides, which unites with the Bed 
Eiver just above the town of Alexandria, is sufficient to drive the ma- 
chinery of the larger cotton mills. How soon these wasted forces may 
be made to employ their energies in building up the waste places and 
adding to the wealth of the State depends only upon enterprise and 
necessary capitol. 

Immigration. - "Within the past ten years there has been considerable 
immigration, mainly from Southern States east of the Mississippi 
Eiver. Immigrants who settle in the parish generally remain here, 
and this influx of population has greatly benefited some portions of it. 
The preference has been generally in favor of the uplands, but there 
is a growing disposition to settle on the richer lands along the river 
and bayous. The people of the parish will welcome all who come 
within her borders to seek homes, and to join with them in developing 
her magnificent resources. Here they will find representatives from 
every Northern State, and almost from every country in Europe, con- 
stituting one community ;. none need fear persecution or proscription. 

Bailroads — There are three lines of projected railroads which pass 
through Alexandria, a branch of Morgan's Texas Railroad, now in 
course of construction, the New Orleans Pacific, the Natchez, Vidalia 
and Trinity. 

Inducements and Suggestions to Immigrants.- No part of the State 
offers greater inducements to the immigrant than Eapides parish. 
Here will be found every variety of soil, while the diversity in natural 
features is very great; wooded hills, rolling uplands, prairie and allu- 
vial plains of unexcelled fertility are comprised within the area of the 
parish. Comfortable homes can be found in every quarter. There is 
a large quantity of public land upon which homesteads of one hundred 
and sixtv acres can be obtained by a residence of a few years, at no 
cost. The climate is everywhere salubrious. The profits of farming in 
Eapides parish are as great as anywhere in the world, and depend only 
upon the skill, energv and judgment of the farmer. The parish pos- 
sesses excellent ratural facilities for manufacturing of every kind. 
Those who desire to share the general prosperity now dawning upon 
the South, or who would participate in her rapid march of improve- 
ment should not delay. The comforts of life, independence and for- 
tune await all who would claim them. 



RED RIVER PARISH. 

Win. H. Harris, Commissioner of Agriculture and Immigration, New 
Orleans, La.: 

My Deak Sie— Tour favor of the 1st inst. is just to hand, and I hasten 
to replv as briefly as possible. 

Eed Eiver parish extends from Caddo, in the north, to Natchitoches, 
on the south, and from Bienville, on the east, to DeSoto, on the west. 
The Eed Eiver, as crooked as a ram's horn, thereby giving it a river 



RICHLAND PARISH. 197 



front three times its direct length, flows directly through it, and its 
alluvial lands are justly celebrated as the richest in the world. 

Besides these alluvial lands of the Red River, the eastern portion of 
the parish, known as the "Hill," is very productive, and is settled 
with an intelligent and thrifty population, the descendants of the best 
blood of Georgia, Virginia and the Carolinas, Alabama, etc, of the 
South. 

This parish was organized in 1871, by the Radical Legislature— a 
hoard of carpet-bag adventurers— and they assfssed the river lands, 
improved, at $40 per acre; which, with 23£ mills State taxation, and 
the same for the parish, they were extorting the entire income of the 
people, and in many instances were forcing confiscation upon them. 
During these trying times a constant stream of emigration was mov- 
ing, at great sacrifice of property and household goods, to Texas, and 
the parish feels to this day the irreparable loss of so many of its best 
citizens. 

Law and order now reign supreme. The humblest black man is pro- 
tected in his rights as thoroughly as the richest nabob in the land. 
Many of those who took refuge in Texas have returned. Immigrants 
are constantly coming among us. Our population has increased 25 
per cent in the last four years, and prosperity is everywhere and uni- 
versal. State taxation is only six mills. 

Our parish site— Coushatta— is one of the most thriving towns in 
America. With the carpenter's hammer sounding on all sides, 
you would imagine you were in Leadville. 

As to the healthfulness of our people, I think it will compare with 
any locality in the cotton States. We have some malarious fever, but 
it is easily handled. 

There are thousands of acres of land which can be bought improved 
and unimproved, but the improved lands are raising in value. 

Churches and schools are building up all over the parish. 

Labor is good. The black man finds he is protected in life and prop- 
erty and it is quickening his energies. The white people are all hard 
working and industrious in their various callings, from the field to the 
pulpit. 

Chinese are not wanted. Debauchery and vice common amongst 
them are frowned down, and the parasitical influences as evi- 
denced in California are not wanted here. The steady Caucasians, be 
they from the Scandinavions, the Anglo-Saxons, the Gauls or the He- 
brews are welcome. A few more of Africa's noble sons could find em- 
ployment, judging from the encouragement given those here. His 
color recommends him. No quesiions are asked. This country is the 
ideal "Kansas" of the black man. If he don't take care of himself, 
the whites will for him. Without corn, meat, horse, home or land he 
is everywhere welcome, and has never to tramp for a job or a home. 

I have not the data to answer all your questions and if I did I would 
fill your book, and will close by saying Red River parish is one of the 
Edens of the world now. If she continues improving as she is daily 
under Democratic laws there is no calculation which can approximate 
her future status. With high regards, B. W. MARSTON. 



RICHLAND PARISH. 

This parish is situated in the northeastern portion of the State, be- 
tween the Ouachita and Mississippi rivers, and is traversed from east 
to west by the Vicksburg and Monroe Railroad. The principal towns 
are Delhi and Rayville, containing from two hundred to three hundred 
inhabitants, with schools, churches, and all the accessories of civiliza- 
tion required by an intelligent and refined community. 



198 LOUISIANA. 



The parish is well watered in every part. The principal streams are 
Bayous Bceuf and Macon, which are navigable in winter and spring by- 
large steamboats, affording ample transportation to market for all the 
products of the parish. 

The soil of the parish is alluvial, and the bluff formation known 
as the Bayou Macon hills. The lands bordering the bayous are 
as good as any in the State, the actual yield §according to the census 
report being four-fifths of a bale of cotton and fifteen bushels of corn. 
While this is the average yield of the entire parish, the yield of planta- 
tions on the bayous in the alluvial lands often reaches one and a half 
bales of cotton per acre and fifty bushels of corn. 

Not more than one-tenth of the parish is under cultivation, although 
there is not an acre of barren land in its limits. All the land not under 
cultivation is covered with a heavy growth of magnificent timber 
among which is found the oak, ash, elm, gum, black walnut, beech, 
magnolia and other growths of alluvial and bluff formations. 

The principal productions of the parish are cotton, corn and sweet 
potatoes; oats, rye, millet and many of the domestic grasses grow well 
especially in the hilly part of the parish. According to the United 
States census report for 1880-81. the production of cotton was 11,631 
bales, of corn 140,853 bushels, and of sweet potatoes 6,643 bushels. Only 
cotton is exported, other products being entirely for home consumption. 

Fruits and vegetables of all kinds which grow in the temperate zone 
are plentiful at all seasons, and these, as well as a variety of other 
products of garden and field, could be raised for profitable export, but 
here, as well as elsewhere in the State, the one-crop system handed 
down to us by our fathers prevails, and only immigration, bringing 
in new men and advanced ideas, will lift the planters out of the well 
worn and time honored ruts in which thev travel. 

According to the late census the population is 8440, of which 3161 are 
whites and 5279 negroes. 

The latter are generally civil, quiet and industrious, some of the 
more forehanded of the race having bought small farms and accumu- 
lated a nice little stock of hogs and cattle around them. 

The importation of fine cattle has of late years been successfully 
accomplished by several planters. Notably among these is a little 
herd of Jerseys imported by the Hon. H. P. Wells, of Delhi. Cattle 
and hogs generally farewell in the parish, requiring no shelter summer 
or winter, grass, switch cane, mast and swamp furnishing abundant 
feed to all stock which range at large. 

The labor upon large plantations is generally performed by negroes, 
The share system generally prevails but when wages are given they 
range from $12 to $15 per month. 

Many white men cultivate small farms, with their own families, with 
an occasional hired hand. They are almost universally prosperous and 
out of debt, and are really the most independent class of people, rais- 
ing their supplies at home. 

The health of this section will compare favorably with that of other 
portions of the South, aDd the climate is not subject to violent extremes 
of heat and cold. Foreigners and immigrants from other States already 
here have found no difficulty in field work at all seasons. The people 
desire immigration, and will welcome all classes and creeds. 



SABINE PARISH. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population: 7344. White, 5486; colored, 185S. 

Area: 1008 square miles. Woodland, all. Oak uplands, 658 square 
miles ; central prairie region, 200 square miles ; long-leaf pine hills, 150 
square miles. 



SABINE PARISH. 199 



Tilled land : 18,524 acres. Area planted in cotton, 5952 acres ; in corn, 
7971 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 191 acres ; in sugar cane, 85 acres. 

Cotton production : 2313 bales ; average cotton product per acre 0.39 
bale, 555 pounds seed cotton or 185 pounds cotton lint. 

Sabine parish, as a whole, is occupied by rolling oak uplands, ex 
cepting only a few townships in the southeastern corner, where the 
long-leaf pine prevails, as it does' in the adjoining portions of Vernon 
and Natchitoches parishes. From these hilly, long-leaf pine lands, 
whose soil is sandy and unthrifty, there is rather a sudden transition 
to the better soils of the "central prairie region," beginning west of the 
Bayou Toreau. Here oaks, mingled with more or less of short-leaf 
pine, prevail; the pale yellow subsoil gives place to a deep-tinted 
orange or red clayey loam on the hills, while in the valleys there are 
occasional black prairie spots and trees indicative of the limy ingi e- 
dients of the marine tertiary formation prevail. See an analysis of a 
subsoil from this region. Belts of deep red soils, derived from a shelly 
ironstone that underlies them, are occasionally found. Lands of the 
character described form a band of six or seven miles wide, running in 
a northeast direction from the Sabine river to the line of Natchitoches 
parish, where the long-leaf pine again sets in. Bidges crested by the 
latter run out into the uplands northward of Manny ; but on the flanks 
of these, as well as in the valleys, a good oak-growth mingled with 
short-leaf pine prevails, and so continues toward De Soto parish, on 
the dividing ridge between the Sabine and Bed rivers. The lands on 
Bayous Negrete and San Patricio are reputed to be the best of the re- 
gion, and greatly superior to those on the Bed Biver side of the divide. 
A fine staple of cotton is grown on these lands, which are both pro- 
ductive and lasting. 

Communication with the New Orleans market is via landings on Bed 
Biver. 

ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT OF D. W. SELF, MILL CREEK. 

This is a rolling-upland parish, with numerous creek and bayou bot- 
toms; the latter have a stiff, heavy, gum soil, subject to overflow in 
the back-lands, while the front-lands are sandy and characterized by 
beech timber. The creek bottoms are the most important for cotton 
culture, forming quite one-half of the land on which cotton is grown. 
The timber is lowland oaks, sweet gum, hickory, holly and magnolia. 
The soil is a clay loam, sometimes putty-like; color, from yellow to 
blackish, and black when containing lime ; it is 15 to 24 inches deep ; 
the subsoil is heavier and more sticky, but becomes similar to the sur- 
face soil under tillage. Heavy or pipe clay underlies at 5 feet. Corn, 
cotton, sweet potatoes, peas, oats and rice are grown— the last to a 
small extent only, but yields well on the stiff soil. The bayou bottoms 
are best adapted to cotton, and 40 to 50 per cent, of their land is in that 
crop. The stalk grows from 4 to 6 feet high ; is most productive at 4 
feet, being inclined to run to weed on this soil in regular seasons, and 
doing best in dry ones. Close, deep plowing will restrain it ; when well 
advanced, topping. From 1200 to 1500 pounds of seed-cotton per acre 
are produced, of which from 1350 to 1400 pounds make a 450-pound 
bale. The staple rates good middling when clean ; fifteen years' culti- 
vation make little difference in quality or quantity of product. Very 
little of this land lies out : some has been in cultivation for forty years ; 
when resting four or five years, it produces almost as well as when 
fresh. 

The sandy front land or beech soil, forming about one-fourth of the 
cultivated lands, is more generally planted in corn and potatoes. Its 
timber is beech, magnolia, white oak, holly, wild peach, etc. It is a 
fine sandy loam, yellowish, down to two feet depth ; ^he subsoil is 
heavier and of a more yellow cast. It admits of earlier planting than the 



. 



WO LOUISIANA. 



back lands, being well drained. Cotton grows six to eight feet high 
when the land is fresh ; six feet is best. About 1200 pounds of seed 
cotton is the product on fresh land, staple, etc. the same as on the 
back land. Crab-grass is the most troublesome weed on both of these 
soils. Cotton in these lowlands is subject to injury; in cold, wet sea- 
sons, but fruits so much better and is so much less liable to shedding 
that we prefer the lowlands to the uplands for cotton culture. 

Hummock, or upland soil, forms about one-fourth of the tillable 
lands. The timber is post, red and black oaks. The soil is fine and 
sandv, of an orange-red tint, from twelve to fifteen inches deep. The 
subsoil is heavier, and clay is found at a depth of two feet. It tills 
easily at all times ; it is mainly given to the culture of corn and pota- 
toes. Cotton grows from three to five feet, best at the latter height ; it 
yields 800 to 1000 pounds of seed cotton per acre. About 1050 pounds 
of seed cotton are required for a bale ; it rates low middling, and about 
the same after six years' cultivation, when the yield falls to 600 or 700 
pounds. A good deal of such land lies turned out, and without manure 
it is worthless for further cultivation. It washes on slopes, but the 
valleys are benefited by the washings, and "we let it go." Cotton is 
hauled to Natchitoches and generally sold there. 



ST. BERNARD PARISH. 

BY HON. ALBERT ESTOPINAL. 

The parish of St. Bernard begins at the lower limit the parish of 
Orleans on the left bank of the Mississippi River, ami has a front of 
some fifteen miles on said river, extending to the upper line of the 
parish of Plaquemines, it then follows the bayou Terre-aux-Boeufs in 
an easterly direction to the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of about 100 
miles. It also includes Proclorville on Lake Borgne and the 
Ridge known as Lachincha lying on both sides of the Bayou La Loutre, 
a small stream which flows into Lake Borgne. The parish was origi- 
nally settled by immigrants from the Canary islands about the year 
1778. 

According to the census of 1880 the population is about 6,000, about 
one-half colored. 

The assessment for 1880 amounts to about $700,000. The parish owes 
about $10,000 and has a sufficient amount of back taxes due to extin- 
guish this indebtedness. 

The climate is pleasant and healthy. 

The soil of St. Bernard parish is as rich as any in the State, the area 
of arable land is about 25,000 square acres, and easily drained, being 
formed by ridges on both sides of the Terre-aux-Bceufs and La Loutre 
Bavous, sloping gently towards the cypress swamp on either side. 
There are many small streams which flow into the numerous bays and 
lakes along the gulf coast, which serve as outlets to carry off surplus 
water. 

Along the Mississippi River and small water courses the surface is a 
rich sandy soil, towards the cypress swamp the soil is rich clay loam. 

The crops at present raised are sugar cane, corn, rice and some cot- 
ton, on the Bayou La Loutre, especially the sea island, which grows 
luxuriantly and yields generally from one to one and a half bales. All 
kinds of vegetables are also raised in large quantities for the New Or- 
leans market. 

The largest portion of that part of the parish lying on the Terre-aux- 
Bceufs and La Loutre is cut up into small farms, where vegetables are 
raised. There are twenty sugar plantations, which made in 1879 about 
5000 hogsheads of sugar. 



ST. CHARLES PARISH. SOI 



The population is not as large as it should be, owing to the want of 
good means of transportation to the Mississippi river from the interior 
there being but one road, which becomes very bad during the rainy 
season. Lately the accommodations for traveling have been greatly 
improved by the creation of the New Orleans and Terre-aux-Bceufs 
Transportation Company, which is running a line of stages to a point 
ten miles from the Mississippi Kiver down Terre-aux-Bceuts ia connec- 
tion with the steamboats Daisy and Martha, for New Orleans The 
people generally applaud and encourage the enterprise, and are doing 
all in their power to secure its permanent success. A railroad from 
JNew Orleans to Proctorville would make St. Bernard one of the richest 
parishes in the State. 

Fish and game abound, and many people earn a livelihood by fish- 
ing and hunting. J 

Fruits of all kinds flourish in St. Bernard, especially the orange. 
which grows magnificently. 6 ' 

Schools are neglected, but a favorable change is expected soon 

I he court-house and jail are in a dilapidated condition, but the 
present police jury have made provisions for the necessary repairs, and 
will no doubt, before the end of the present year, carry out their pur- 
pose with regard to said repairs. 



ST. CHARLES PARISH. 

ST. CHARLES HERALD. 

The parish of St. Charles is the second parish above the city of New 
Orleans, on the Mississippi Kiver. Its soil is alluvial, wonderfully fer- 
tile and probably as rich as any in the world. The parish is rather 
OT£t» 1 ^/<? r ^'u be i D ^u iiv i c J ed ;^ owever ' int0 wnat are called the 
throu 'h^he middle Mississippi River, which runs nearly 

It has many geographical advantages, and is partially bounded on 
different sides by three lakes of considerable size, namely : Pontchar- 
train, Des A emands and Salvador, the last two being connected by 
Bayou des Allemands. The distance by river from its court-house to 
the present upper limits of New Orleans is about twenty miles The 
means of communication between the two points are many and com- 

on? t A Charles a , ud ^ he ad -i )inin S P arj sh of St. John were first settled by 
200 German colonists, who came from Alsatia in 1720. The river cjast 
oi these parishes was for a long time known as the German Coast and 
a lake and bayou (Des Allemands) also derived their names from them 
Subsequently in 1756, a number of Arcadian families, refugees from 

E£ v 3- S * C -° tia '- l et ft U he u re -- ? he present Creole Population of the par- 
tv!i' ^f 1 n S ulsh . ed for their simplicity, thrift and happy disposition, are 
the descendants of the followers of the Chevalier Darinsbourg from 
Alsatia and the French exiles from Nova Scotia. They embrace the 
largest part of the white population. 

The American (or Northern), the French and German residents form 
important elements in the planting and business circles 

Ihe population is about 7,000; mostly colored persons who were for- 
merly slaves. , They show a strong attachment to their old homes, and 
are generally industrious and moral. 

The dimate is.the finest in the Union, the weather during the greater 
part of the year is most delightful, and the healthfulness of this local- 
ity is conceded by all practicing physicians. The average duration of 
human life is longer here than anywhere else in the United States. 
ine winters are like Indian summers, and spring generally opens in 
26 



202 LOUISIANA. 



February .with blossoms on the peach and plum trees, and blackberry 
bushes. Koses bloom throughout the entire winter. The heat of sum- 
mer is moderated by the refreshing breezes from the lakes and river, 
and the nights are generally pleasant. 

The lands being alluvial, formed gradually from deposits left by the 
sediment brought down the Mississippi and other rivers, are the richest 
in the world. They are highest on the banks of streams, from which 
they slope off into the wooded lands in the rear, which are generally 
swamps. Hence the distinction between "front" and "back" lands. 
Here and there will be found a ridge or belt of high land, covered with 
a variety of magnificent trees and a thick undergrowth of canes and 
climbing vines, and sometimes can be found an Indian mound, made 
of shells from the neighboring lakes. The front lands are mostly 
cleared and cultivated for one or two miles back. The cleared part of 
ridges are also cultivated. The principal forest growth is cypress, 
several kinds of oak, ash, gum, maple, elm, hackberry, willow and 
cottonwood. 

The price of land varies, of course, according to location and im- 
provement. 

The religion of the old settlers who speak French and of their de- 
scendants is Catholic; the colored people since their emancipation 
have allied themselves to the Baptist and Methodist churches. There 
are about ten small churches in the parish. 

There are quite a number of public schools, besides a few private 
schools, in the parish. 

The chief products of large plantations are sugar, molasses and rice. 
Tobacco grows well. There are many beautiful and profitable orange 
orchards. Pecan trees furnish an abundance of delicious nuts, while 
Japan and other plums and figs grow in great luxuriance and abun- 
dance. Peaches, cherries, grapes, pears, bananas, persimmons, straw- 
berries, blackberries, dewberries and mulberries all do well. Corn and 
potatoes grow abundantly, particularly the latter. Of vegetables the 
choicest in the land can be seen growing in summer and winter. 

Horses, mules, cows, sheep, goats and hogs thrive well. Sheep and 
hogs especially are easily kept, multiply rapidly and are profitable. 
Grazing facilities are great ; as the winters are never very severe, grass 
does not entirely die out. Excellent hay can be made from the native 
grasses. 

A better place than this for a vegetable garden and truck patch can 
hardly be imagined. Winter, summer, spring and fall gardens can be 
and are planted here, and there is no month nor week in the year, 
when the gardener cannot be gathering his harvests. To give a list of 
all the vegetables that can be successfully and profitably raised here 
would be to print the catalogue of the most complete garden seed es- 
tablishment in the country. No hot-houses are required to produce 
many of our North summer's vegetables in the very middle of winter 
and a ready market for all that can be raised, is always near at hand. 
This is the land of milk and honey. Flowers abound. Bees do splen- 
didly and require but little care. In this semi-tropical clime they can 
gather their harvest from flowers all the year. No man is excusable 
in this region for not adorning his home with a robe of beautv. Almost 
every flower and shrub and flowering tree, known to the zone, from the 
lofty magnolia— which gives a charm to any scene where it grows— 
down to the delicate violet and larkspur flourishes here. Many resi- 
dences are literally embowered in blooming trees, shrubbery and flow- 
ers. A hundred varieties of the rose can be raised to make the air 
fragrant, from January to June, and then again from June to January. 
Perhaps there is not a st>ot in the world where the dairy business 
can be conducted with such profit as right here. Cows do well and 
give a large quantity of milk all the year round on the range alone, 



ST. CHARLES PARISH. SOS 



although they -yield a better quantity and quality if slightly fed a por- 
tion of the time. Milk, butter and butter-milk always command high 
prices. Cows are cheap, and yet veal in the New Orleans market 
always brings a high price. The product of dairies established along 
our river coast could easily and daily be shipped to the city by various 
means. 

There is no land in the world where poultry raising is so easy and 
profitable an occupation as in this parish. Turkeys, geese, ducks, 
chickens, Guinea fowls, pigeons, etc. here live, thrive and increase 
without expense to the owner ; and besides supplying his tables with 
eggs and delicacies, enable him to dispose of a large number each year 
for shipment. 

The lakes, bayous, ponds and river furnish a constant supply of dif- 
ferent kind of tish. The fields and woods afford fine sport to the 
huntsman. Hares, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, and many varieties of 
birds are plentiful, while sometimes a deer or bear is met with. 

The facilities for transportation of freight or passengers is tolerably 
good. Three railroads from New Orleans pass through the parish, 
namely: the Donaldsonville, the Morgan, and the Chicago Railroads. 
The Mississippi River, the lakes, and Bayou des Allemands afford 
facilities for water crafts. The public road along the river puts the 
planter who is on horseback or in a buggy within easy access to the 
city. 

There are several saw mills in the parish, from which large quanti- 
ties of cypress lumber are furnished. The making of pickets, clap- 
boards, shingles, hogsheads and barrels gives employment to many. 

At Boutte citation, in the southeast corner of the parish, resides a 
camp of Choctaw Indians, whose living is made by manufacturing all 
sorts of baskets and wares from the native cane, and by gathering the 
leaves that are ground into g\xmho fille. There is an old rice mill (So- 
niat's) in the parish, and at Hahnville there are quite a large number 
of mechanical industries. 

At Bayou des Allemands many men do handsomely by hunting, and 
in the winter months large numbers of wild duck are shipped to New 
Orleans from this point. The gathering and curing of moss, the cut- 
ting and marketing of wood affords profitable employment. Soil in 
the vicinity of the river is well adapted to the manufacture of bricks 
and common pottery. 

Boutte Station, on the line of the Morgan Railroad, is a pretty little 
village, with several stores, a public school and a number of pretty 
homes. 

The Star plantation, one of the finest in the parish, about three 
miles above Hahnville, was the home of the Chevalier Darinsbourg, 
the chief of the early German colonists. There is now a Catholic 
church and grave-yard at the lower front corner. 

Everybody knows or has heard of the Red Church. It is the oldest 
Catholic church in this part of the country. It is supposed to be 
exactly twenty-five miles from Canal street, New Orleans, and has 
been for fully one hundred years a landmark to travelers on the river. 
It adjoins the beautiful plantation of the late J. A. Rost, who was a 
judge of our Supreme Court, Confederate States Minister to Spain, and 
a gentleman of varied acquirements and great popularity. 

Freetown is the name given to a creole settlement at the river termi- 
nation of the Boutte Road. Here there are a number of white and 
colored families with small gardens. There are several large stores at 
this point. The place is well shaded by pecan and other trees. There 
is a Catholic chapel and a colored church here. 

Hahnville.— Hahnville, situated on the right bank, about twenty-eight 
miles from Canal street, is one of the prettiest villages in the State. 
There are here two schools, two churches, a newspaper, several tine 



204 LOUISIANA 



stores, blacksmiths, carpenters, bakers, butchers, etc. In fact, Hahn- 
ville is a nourishing place, offering many natural advantages to those 
in search of a field for enterprise and a pleasant, healthful Southern 
home. It enjoys a daily mail to and from the city, and is the centre of 
the business and gaiety of the parish. The court-house is situated 
one-half mile below Hahnville, and is half-way between each end of 
the parish. 

We have room for more people. We want mechanics and industrious 
people of all classes to come and make their homes here. This place 
presents as good an opening to energy and pluck as any other, and 
■vre want the country to know it. Its surrounding is noted for the ex- 
cellence of its climate, the fertility of its soil, the variety and abun- 
dance of its products and the wealth, refinement, congenial and 
friendly character of its older citizens. The New Orleans and Donald- 
sonville Railroad track stretches along its rear ; the great, rapid river 
rolls by its front, and the tireless steamers, proudly bearing their 
golden freight, ply their trade and float upon its heaving bosom as far 
as the human eye can see up or down. By these facilities New Or- 
leans can be reached in two hours. Here land, lots and houses are 
offered for sale as cheaply and on as favorable terms as the same can 
be had anywhere. Can any more be said for any country? Where 
under the sun are there better opportunities presented to the poor, 
ambitious planter or industrious mechanic? It is astounding to re- 
flect that this vast and wonderful country, so rich in its thousand re- 
sources has never been touched by the hand of energetic enterprise. 

What is to prevent the tide of emigration from setting this way, and 
occupying our idle lands with the hardy tillers of the soil— the world's 
strongest, bravest and most intrepid people, the settlers and pioneers? 
Nothing! The sweet light of our future prosperity is now dawning; 
the day of Louisiana's glory breaks ; we dwell in peace at home, and 
the dark clouds which hitherto obscured the vision have been lifted 
and dissipated. 



ST. HELENA PARISH. 

Hon. Wm. H. Harris, Commissioner of Agriculture and Immigration 
State of Louisiana : 

Dear Sir— The parish of St. Helena is bounded north by the 31st 
parallel of latitude, separating it from the State of Mississippi; east 
by the parish of Tangipahoa, south by the parish of Livingston, west 
by the Amite River, which separates it from East Feliciana and East 
Baton Rouge parishes. 

Its superficial area contains 550 square miles, or 352,000 acres. 

Greensburg, the parish site, is 12 miles west from Amite and 10 miles 
from Tangipahoa Station, on the New Orleans, St. Louis and Chicago 
Railroad, and 12 miles east of Amite River. Its population is about 
300. It contains about thirty neat residences, court-house and jail, 
three law offices, one printing office (The Gazette), one commodious 
Masonic Hall, two churches (Baptist and Methodist), Norvilla Fe- 
male Institute, three private schools, one butcher, one shoemaker, 
two blacksmith shops, one jeweler, one hotel and boarding-house, one 
livery stable, two good physicians, one millinery establishment, five 
stores, one farmers' co-operative store. 

Grangeviile, 12 miles west from Greensburg, on the Amite River, 
(Third Ward), contains one co-operative Grange store, one store under 
construction, one drug store, two doctors, one blacksmith shop, one 
brickyard and a post-office. 



ST. HELENA PARISH. 205 



About two miles above on the river is situated, in a pleasant locality 
the Amite River Academy— Principal, Rev. G. M. Headen. This is a 
flemishing school. 

Our parish tax is eight mills on the dollar. Our poll tax is one dol- 
lar which goes to the school fund. 

This is a rolling piney-woods parish, interspersed with numerous 
rivers, creeks and branches. The principal growth is pine, mostly long 
leaf yellow, oaks of several varieties, gum, poplar, magnolia, beech, 
bass-w T ood, maple, sumac, hickory, dogwood, etc., on the water courses, 
birch, elm, cherry, etc. ; a small quantity of cypress in the small river 
swamps. 

The lands on the river banks from a quarter to a mile wide, are nearly 
all cultivatible. Our rivers and creeks are subject to overflow from 
heavy rains in the spring and late in the fall, making it safer to fertilize 
the uplands. The uplands are in general sandy, with good clay sub- 
soil. The branch, creek and river flats are the cream of the uplands, 
washed off by the rains, they are a dark, sandy loam, with good clay 
subsoil. 

The principal streams in the parish are, Natalbany and Tickfaw 
Rivers, Darling's creek, Twelve Mile, East and West Hogbranches, 
Brusley creek and Amite River. These waters empty into Lake Mau- 
repas. Late appropriations by Congress will likely give us navigation 
up the Amite River as far as Grangeville or Williams' Bridge. 

There are many fine mill sites in the parish, affording sufficient 
water power for factories and machinery. A number of saw mills and 
cotton gins are now run by them. The quality of our soil is generally 
productive. 

No minerals developed in this parish yet. Small quantities of iron 
ore can be seen in many places. 

We can grow almost any kind of crops, including many from the 
tropics. Cotton is cultivated by the majority of farmers in this parish 
as the money crop. On land not fertilized the average yield is from 
one-half to three-quarter bales of cotton per acre. Lands well fer- 
tilized and cultivated will yield, with favorable season, one bale weigh- 
ing from 400 to 500 pounds. 

The average crop of corn on lands not fertilized is from ten to fifteen 
bushels. By fertilization some farmers have made this season from 
forty to fifty bushels per acre, worth at home from fifty cents to one 
dollar per bushel. 

Sweet potatoes, cultivated for home use are a profitable crop, yield 
from 100 to 300 bushels per acre, worth from twenty-five to fifty cents per 
bushel at home. Irish potatoes yield about the same. We can raise 
two crops a year. 

Oats yield about the same as corn. Sugar cane is not generally cul- 
tivated in this parish. In our ward (the fourth), situated on the Amite 
River, a livelier interest is evinced in cane patches this year. Little 
portable mills and copper evaporating-pans are resorted to in the man- 
ufacture of syrup. 

Parties having mill and fixtures go from place to place in the fall, 
and grind on shares, usually one-sixth for use of mill and man to tend 
it. When the miller furnishes team and help the toll ranges from one- 
fourth to one-third. 

We can make, with very little work, one hogshead of sugar and four 
barrels of molasses per acre. Sugar is worth from 10 to 12J cents per 
pound and molasses from 40 to 50 emits per gallon at home. 

Sorghum cane produces well, and makes an excellent feed for rais- 
ing hogs. It will make from 60 to 100 gallons per acre, worth 40 and 50 
cents per gallon. It is not cultivated much in this parish. 
Rice is cultivated with but little work on new-ground lands. 
Broom corn will do splendidly here. 



206 LOUISIANA. 



Hops will do well without any culture. 

Tobacco will do as well here as anywhere. Three euttings a year 
can be obtained. There is a good deal raised in the parish for home 
use ; none for the general market. 

Crab grass and pea hay is generally cut and saved for stock here. 

Pea vines plowed in just as the pea turns to ripen is the best and cheap- 
est fertilizer we can use, and, by actual test, it will redeem barren 
lands in three years to their primitive state of fertility. 

Fruits.— Almost every farmer has some fruit trees, generally peaches. 
The climate and soil is well adapted to the culture of a large Variety of 
fruits, — quinces, pomegranates, peaches, pears, some few varieties of 
apple, plums of every variety do well, figs never fail, some few varieties 
of grapes do exceedingly well, strawberries do well ; watermelons, ex- 
ceedingly fine, often weighing from 40 to 50 pounds ; pumpkins and 
kershaws are excellent. 

Jute will do well by actual test, seeds planted in the latter part of 
July or first of August this year on ordinary land is from six to seven 
feet high and a vigorous grower. As soon as a company now organized 
in New Orleans get ready for manufacturing it, we will plant for market. 

Our climate is delightful— the doctors often say distressingly healthy. 

Atmosphere pure and salubrious at all times. We have no epidem- 
ics in our parish. Our mortality list will compare favorably with any 
other section of the United States. We are much less liable to sun- 
stroke than in the State of New York ; in fact, sunstroke is hardly 
known here. 

Our drinking water is as good as anywhere in the world ; it is ob- 
tained from numerous bold crystal springs, wells and cisterns. 

Population of this parish from the census of 1880 : Whites, 3241 ; 
blacks, 4253 —total, 7494. Nationalities : American and mixtures from 
the different countries of Europe. We have English, Scotch, German, 
Swedes, French and Irish. The general character of our inhabitants 
will compare favorably with the best in the United States. 

Lands of all kinds we have; ean be bought, woodland and im- 
proved lands— prices varying from $1 to $10 per acrp, according to 
locality and improvements. Terms can be made in most cases to suit 

Eurchaser. Thousands of acres of unsurpassed saw-mill timber can 
e had at the Government price, per acre $1 25, or even less. 

Labor.— The usual contract for labor is, for the farmer to furnish the 
land, teams, feed and implements necessary to cultivate and gather 
the crop, and give one-half of all the crops raised. 

When rations are furnished the laborer gets one-third of the crop. 
When wages are given the range is from $10 to $12 per month, with 
usual rations. When parties rent they pay according to value of land, 
condition of fences and improvements, etc; easy terms can be made. 

The rent of a mule or horse ranges from $20 to $25 for the year, paid 
out of the crop or as may otherwise be agreed upon. A hand can cul- 
tivate from fifteen to twenty- five acres of land, according to the crops 
raised. 

We have fourteen churches, and the Baptist and Methodist denomi- 
nations predominate in the parish. Public schools in the parish, forty- 
two ; private, twelve. We have a large flourishing school in the town of 
Greensburgr. incorporated and empowered to graduate its pupils, 
stvled the "Norvilla Female Institute. " Principal, Prof. S. S. Norwood. 
Board can be procured at $10 and $12 per month. 

Chinese are not wanted here, nor do we invite any mongrel race. 



ST. HELENA PARISH. 207 



We invite honest, well meaning, white immigrants from all quarters 
of the globe. They can find employment here at remunerative wages, 
and can work all the year round in the fields with perfect safety. 

Capitalists and manufacturers are needed to develop the incalculable 
resources o^our country. Good mechanics get fair wages. 

We have had but little immigration in our parish as yet, we have a 
few from other States in the Union, a few from Sweden, Germany, 
England, France and Ireland. 

In the Fourth Ward we have the "Fourth Ward Agricultural Society. " 
As we are in our infancy, as it were, we have had no time or means to 
do much in the cause of immigration. We are in full sympathy and 
feel deeply interested in it and will do all in our power to assist it, but 
at present we would not advise the immigrant to come here without 
some little means, at least enough to run him the first year. We are 
plain in our statement of facts and honest in what we tell you, After 
reading just how, and what we are, if you are inclined to come and cast 
your lot with us and take your chances you are heartily welcome to 
do so. 

The natural facility, and ease of production, of forage of every kind, 
with mildness of climate and unlimited wild pasture, makes this nat- 
urally a fine stock country. Horses, mules, cattle, sheep, goats and 
hogs can be raised here with as much profit as anywhere. 

The average price of our native sheep is $1 50 per head ; beef cattle, 
yearlings, at home, from $5 to $6 per head ; milch cows from $15 to $20 
per head. 

The cost of raising is comparatively nothing, as in this climate stock 
can get along without wintering. In the months of February and 
March they need some little attention. Hence stock raising with us is 
nearly all profit, The manure alone will pay for the attention given 
to stock. Milk, butter, hides and wool are a great source of profit. 

Lumber sells at the mills from $8 to $10 per 1000 feet. 

We have good home markets in our numerous country and village 
stores for everything we raise. From the western portion of the parish 
the most of our trade and shipping is carried to Baton Eouge. 

Flowers.— The woods proverbially are a natural flower-garden the 
year round, and every variety of tame, native or imported plants that 
can be cultivated in the United States, will do well here— but few 
needing any winter protection. 

Game.— We have turkeys, rabbits, squirrels, deer, opossums, coons, 
ducks, woodcock, snipe, quails, etc. 

Fish.— We have a fair supply in our streams, including perch, trout, 
catfish, buffalo, gaspagoo, soft-shell turtles and hard-shells of several 
varieties. 

Birds.— We have a variety of native song-birds — the American 
canary, lark and mocking-bird, the imitator of all birds, filling the air 
with its delightful warble day and night; the oreole, wren, humming- 
bird, blue-jay, thrush, blue, red and blackbirds, and many others of 
of varigated colors. 

This year, 1880, we have an unusual beech mast, and from the observa- 
tion of some of our oldest settlers every third year the beech trees are 
ladened with fruit. Oak and pine masts are generally plentiful. 

Geo. W. Church, Greensburg postoffice, has 400 acres of land, situated 
on Darling's creek, ten miles northeast of Greensburg. These lands are 
a fair average of the parish ; contains fine mill sites for water power. 
Offers to give in forty acre lots to heads of immigrant families, a 
guarantee title when possession is taken ; 150 acres of the land is 
cleared. Germans or Sweedes preferred, but have no objections to 
others. 



208 LOUISIANA, 



There is an unlimited field here for any enterprise of the capitalist. 
Gentlemen, come on. The first that come will get the cream of the 

W. W. MATTHEWS, Chairman; 
N. B. CALMES. 
ISAAC ODOM, 
WM. DENNIS, 
S. PBAVES, 

Committee of Citizens. 
ED. McD. ANDERSON 
Secretary Fourth Ward Agricultural Society, Dennis' Mills Postofflce, 
St. Helena Parish. L&. 



ST. JAMBS PARISH. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population : 14,714. White 4850, colored 9864. 

Area : 308 square miles. Woodland, 253 square miles; alluvial land, 
'253 square miles ; marsh and marsh prairie, 55 square miles. 

Tilled land : 54,675 acres. Area planted in cotton, none ; in corn, 
11,303 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 139 acres ; in sugar cane, 15,227 acres. 

The parish of St. James, north of the river, resembles more the river 
parishes further north than those of the delta plain proper. The high- 
lands near the river are highly productive and densely settled, and 
mostly occupied by sugar plantations. Northward of this belt the 
drainage is toward Lake Maurepas, through Bayou des Acadiens and 
Mississippi Bayou, which head a few miles from the main river. The 
belt of marsh land fringing the shores of Lake Maurepas is only from 
three-quarters to one mile wide, and the land along the bayous south 
of the river ; the cultivated border belt of the usual width of from two 
and a half to three miles is somewhat abruptly terminated by the 
marsh prairies that border the Lake Des Allemands, which thence ex- 
teud westward as a belt about six miles in width, a little beyond the 
principal meridian of the survey, about half-way between the river 
and Bayou Lafourche. 

Last season's production of sugar 10,688 hogsheads; last season's 
production of lice 20,312 barrels. 



ST. JOHN BAPTIST PARISH. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population: 9686 -white, 3855; colored, 5831. 

Area : 190 square miles, woodland, all. Nearly all alluvial land. 

Tilled land: 29,213 acres. Area planted in cotton, none; in corn, 
2888 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 3 acres ; in sugar cane, 9453 acres. 

This small parish, reaching southward to the Lake Des Allemands 
and its bordering marshes, while to the northward it embraces the 
neck of land that separates Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas, is in 
most respects similar to St. Charles. Between the main 'river and Lake 
Maurepas, it comprehends a fine expanse of agricultural land of great 
productiveness and in a high state of cultivation. Fields of sugar cane 
and market gardens occupy most of the cultivatable lands in the par- 
ish. The region between the two lakes is partly marsh prairie, partly 
cypress swamp, rendered almost impenetrable by a thick undergrowth 
of saw palmetto. The prairie on the border of Lake Pontchartrain is 
partly of the "trembling" character, which is perceptible even to the 



ST. LANDRY PARISH. 209 



passer-by on the great highway— the New Orleans and Chicago rail- 
road—that traverses it. A few cultivated spots and settlements 
exist in this region also. 

"In this parish is made the famous peri que tobacco; annual product 
5000 carrats. Last season's sugar crop 17,328 hogsheads ; last season's 
rice crop 31,545 barrels." 



ST. LANDRY PARISH. 

ST. LANDRY DEMOCRAT. 

The parish of St. Landry is next to the largest one in the State. It 
is bounded on the north by the parishes ot Rapid s and Avoyelles, on 
the east by the last named parish and the Atchafalaya River, on 'the 
south by Bayou Turtle Tail (which separates it from the parishes of 
Lafayette, St. Martin and Vermilion) and the Bayou Carancro, and on 
the west by the Mermentau River and Bayou Nez Pique. These lim- 
its embra -e about sixty-rive townships— equal to 1,405,000 acres. < mi 
the east are the Bayou Courtableau and the Atchafalaya River, con- 
necting with the Mississippi River, and thence to New Orleans ; and on 
the west the Mermentau River opens to us the ports of Galveston and 
New Orleans, via the Gulf of Mexico. By the Morgan line of railroad 
a direct communication is established to New Orhans. And via the 
Louisiana Western Railroad, at the town of Vermilionville, to Lake 
Charles, in Calcasieu parish, and thence to Houston and other points 
in Texas. The Morgan line, which is to extend to Alexandria, will 
bring us in direct communication with the great Red River valley. 

Diversity of Natural Wealth.- Perhaps no inland parish is more boun- 
tifully provided with the means and f tcilities required by the farmer 
stock raiser, mechanic and Poorer than the parish of St. Landry, when 
its area and the diversity cf its natural wealth are takon into consider- 
ation. 

Tiie diversity which our parish presents— from the hill to the gently 
undulating prairie, from the dense forest to the grand natural meadow- 
gives fuil scope for the many tastes and pursuits of man. There are 
localities, too, where the scenery is both pleasing and picturesque, and 
where the tired denizen of the city may find rest and peace, and even 
solitude, should he desire it. Within 'the limits thus imperfectly de- 
scribed there is room for thousands of families, possessing intelligence 
and versed in all the later improvements in agriculture, endowed with 
high purposes of progress, and who desire to elevate their own condi- 
tion by well-directed and skillful farming operations. We will wel- 
come all such with open arms. 

The Norllaoestern Section.— The northwestern section of our parish is 
bounded by the Bayou Nez Pipue on the west, the Bayou Crocodile on 
the north and east, and the Bayou Cane on the south and southwest. • 
The area embraced within this circle amounts to nearly 38,000 acres of : 
land. 

This portion of our parish presents a formation somewhat different 
from the other parts, inasmuch as we are in the hill country. These 
elevations are the southwestern termination of the same hills which 
extend through northern and middle Mississippi, and are offshoots 
from the Appalachian range of mountains which form the eastern 
boundary of the great basin of the Mississippi River. Within this 
region we have an extensive deposit of beautiful black marble and 
pebbles as the main geological features, and beech, pine, magnolia, 
oak and hickory the forest growth, with clear running brooks and 
pellucid lakes, abounding in trout and other fish. 

Along that portion of the Bayou Crocodile within, the limits of our 
parish is found a narrow strip of bottom land subject to inundation' 
27 



210 LOUISIANA. 



during heavy rains. This, whilst rendering the land unsafe for culti- 
vation, affords the lumber men the means of floating timber for the 
use of saw mills, and furnishes fine winter pasturage for cattle and 
hogs. 

The pine forests open an inviting field for mill men, and also to those 
acquainted with the manufacture of naval stores. In this forest region 
are also found bodies of land growing black walnut, chinkquapin and 
the wild cherry. 

The body of timber encircled by the water courses above named, 
although great in extent and valuable in kind, does not cover the 
entire area under consideration- the great Mammou prairie lying 
mostly within the same limits. Here roam some of our largest herds ; 
here is beheld one of those great natural meadows over which the eye 
wanders with delight, affording abundont sustenance to thousands of 
dumb beasts. A few years ago we saw 6000 fine beeves within the com- 
pass of six miles north and south, and four miles east and west, await- 
ing the pleasure of the New Orleans butchers. 

Tide water ascends the Nez Pique and Cane some distance above 
their junction with the Mermentau Kiver (the outlet to the Gulf of 
Mexico) ; and the soft and cooling breeze of the sea brings to the set- 
tler health and refreshment. As we approach the junction of the last 
named streams the timber changes, and we find, in addition to the 
other qualities, red cypress, sweet and black gum, dogwood, redbud 
and elm. The streams are wider and deeper, having a depth of twenty 
feet the entire year ; and on or near their oanks are found several min- 
eral springs of considerable medicinal virtue. 

The soil within this belt of country is not extremely fertile in its nat- 
ural condition. Its character may be thus staged : the surface is a 
vegetable mould of from six to fourteen inches, reposing upon a bed 
of beautiful clay ; it is not subject to wash, and whenever manure is 
employed its virtues are entirely secured. In its normal condition it 
produces fair corn, the finest of potatoes, excellent vegetables, and is 
admirably adapted for fruit ; but its great advantage [consists in the 
raising of cattle, horses and hogs. For these purposes, neither Indiana 
nor Illinois can compete with it. Its wealth of grass for cattle, its 
mast for swine, its fine water and timber, give it a value for the small 
farmer and stock raiser beyond computation. 

The Western Section.— We shall now take up that portion of our 
parish embraced within the natural boundaries fixed by the Bayous 
Cane and Mallet. 

This belt of country embraces an area of nearly 160,000 acres, rather 
more than one-half of which is prairie of a better quality than the 
prairie of the section just described. The lands bordering on these, 
and the other streams of our parish, were donated in former times by 
the Spanish Government to individuals, with a front upon the stream 
and extending back the depth of forty arpents, or nearly one and a 
half miles. This mode of donating was, in a country like this, divided 
between wood and prairie— a wise system. It enables each proprietor 
to have access to the water and enjoy the advantage of the timber. 
In the immediate rear of these tracts lies an expanse of prairie, hav- 
ing a width of from four to sis miles. 

The Prairie Faquetaique (or Turkey-hen) is within the area bounded 
by these streams, and the soil, in portions thereof, is of excellent qual- 
ity. Corn rice, tobacco, sugar cane, cotton, potatoes and fruit do 
well, and were a better system of culture developed, more labor-sav- 
ing machinery introduced, and more brain-work evoked, the increase 
of production would be very great. 

The land is gently undulating, not liable to wash from flooding ralna, 
is easy of cultivation, and susceptible of perfect drainage with little 
&Mt ol labor . Tk© streams afford as abuadaae© of water fos gtooke aad 



fFT. LANDRY PARISH. $11 



the prairie a luxuriant growth of grass for their support. To the north 
extends a heavy forest, growth breaking off from both man and beast 
the chilling blast of winter, and at the same time affords a trrateful re- 
treat from the heat of summer. 

_ Hay of an excellent quality can be made from this prairie «rrass and 
in quan cities to supply a dense population arid leave a large surplus 
for exportation. Men used to the labor-saving machines of the North 
and West, and combining therewith a practical knowledge of curinsr 
and preparing this article of commerce, have presented to them a sure 
and profitable business. 

Swine in great numbers can be raised, and at small expense, the oak 
forests affording a heavy mast. The mildness of our climate, facility 
for procuringsalt, and easy access to market combine to render this 
a most lucrative branch of industry. Timber for making barrels and 
for hoops, as also for the construction of all necessary buildings is 
immediately at hand. g ' ° 

Sheep raising can be successfully engaged in also. The mutton of 
this section js of a most delicious flavor, and the best qualities of wool 
have been produced. • 

Sweet potatoes, as an article of food and for the purpose of fattening 
cattle and hogs, yield an immense crop.' It may be put in reason- 
able bounds at 350 bushels per acre. Pears, peaches, grapes and fiffs 
nourish in great periection, and can be made a source of great 

The health of this section is unexceptionable. As many centenarians 
will be found within our borders as in any other portion of the United 

Towns of Washington and Opeloiisas.-Vte will now attempt a descrip- 
tion of that portion of our parish embraced and bounded by the Bavous 
Cane and Mallet on the west, Courtableau on the north and east and 
Plaquemme Brulee on the south. ' 

Taking Washington as the initial point let us turn our faces south- 
west. Crossing the Bayou Carron in the rear of Washington, we 
ascend the bluff, and are upon the common table land which extends 
to the Bayous Cane, Mallet, Brulee, etc Passing amidst farms and a 
gently undulating country, we, at the distance of six miles reach One- 
lousas, the seat of justice, and one of the handsomest and most pleas- 
ant towns in the State, containing some two thousand or more inhabi- 
tants. It is beautifully located, exceedingly healthy, and is suscep- 
tible of being made one of the most important of our rural cities 
Flourishing schools are to be found here. And, in a social point of 
view, we believe that our community will compare favorably with anv 
Place of its extent. Here will be found that innate politeness and 
delicate hospitality which so highly characterize our French citizens 
combined with intelligence and refinement. The American population 
embraces several families of high culture, polished manners and that 
general knowledge of the world which lends a charm to social inter- 
course. In fine, with a location of great beauty, a back country of 
great resources, nearness to water communication and a railroad 
completed, in the midst of a genial climate and healthful in all 
respects, with good institutions of learning and an intelligent and pol- 
ished society, we feel warranted in asserting that no locality in the 
Southern States combines more, if as many, inducements as we offer to 
people of all classes to come here and make their homes with us 

A Beautiful Rolling Prairie Dotted With Farms.- -Leaving the town 
of Opelousas, and turning our faces towards the setting sun we pass 
on over a beautiful rolling prairie country, dotted with farms in a high 
state of cultivation. ° 

At the distance of some seven miles from town we reach a po*nt in 
the prairie region where the timber of the Bavou Mallet on the north 



%12 LOUISIANA 



and the Plaquemine Brulee on the south juts out, enclosing that belt of 
landknoWn as the Plaqueraine ridge. The width of this ridge is, from one 
lineoltimber to the other, some six miles. The land from the centre of 
the ridge inclines gently to either stream, affording eveiy facility for 
drainage and favorable ground for building. The farmers within this 
prairie paradise have added to its charms by planting groves of the 
oak and china trees, which resemble fairy islands. In addition to 
these bright spots, in the spring of the year the growing corn, the 
flowering trees and shrubs and the earth with its luxuriant enamel of ' 
green, furnish us with a picture pleasing to the eye and filling the 
heart with thanksgiving to the Creator for such "a goodly habitation." 

Prairie, Hayes. — This beautiful prairie is everything that can be de- 
sired. Fine lands, good water, timber, etc. Cattle and horses are the 
chief objects of care, and from the immense range and small ppr cent, 
of loss this branch of industry is very lucrative. Hay of a superior 
qualitv can be cut on this prairie, the yield being two or more tons to 
the acre. Cotton, corn and bugar cane do finely. Sheep and hogs 
increase very rapidly. Meat keeps perfectly well here. 

Packing-houses might be profitably erected in this section as safely 
and at less cost than in Cincinnati and Louisville. The great salt mine 
of Judge Avery can be easily reached from this point by water. The 
best of oak and cypress is at 'hand for the making of barrels, and the 
hoop-poles stand ready to be fashioned into barrel hoops, and .New 
Orleans and Galveston invite to their mart. Every variety of field 
produce thrives here, and garden vegetables and fruits of all kinds — 
thus giving great variety to" labor and furnishing all those necessaries 
which tend to give pleasure to man. Tide water reaches this point, 
and the sea-breeze comes with health and comfort in its breath. 

The Louisiana Western Railroad passes through this lovely section. 

The Eastern Section.— St. Landry has a waterfront upon the Atchafa- 
lava biver of some sixty miles. This portion of the parish, embracing 
several townships, is covered with a dense growth of timber and cane- 
brakes, and is within the overflowed section of our State. On the im- 
mediate banks of the Atchafalaya, in ordinary seasons, crops may be 
made ; and were the same means used as formerly, in securing the 
levees, much valuable land would be brought under cultivation. 

On the Bayou Rouge, a branch of the Atchafalaya River, are found 
some rich and valuable lands, excellent for corn, cotton and su«ar. 
The same may be said of the Big Cane, Dry Bayou, Waxia, and other 
interior streams. The Courtableau, formed by the Crocodile and 
Bayou Bceuf, connects our parish with New Orleans byway of the At- 
chafalaya and Mississippi rivers. 

To within a few miles of "Washington the lands on the Courtableau 
are subject to annual inundation, and have therefore but little value in 
an agricultural point of view. S.till this vast belt of timber will always 
be of great value to the parish' for building and fencing materials. 
Until such time as the prairie lands shall be settled, this body of land 
will not be sought for farming purposes, owing to the great labor re- 
quired for clearing the same. 

Continuing up the Courtableau to the junction of the Bceuf and 
Crocodile, we enter one of the most beautiful portions of the parish. 
On either side of the Bceuf are seen large and valuable plantations, 
covered with luxuriant sugar cane, cotton and corn. 

The Southern Sect Ion.— "Upon leaving Opelousas we enter the timber 
which borders Bayou Callihan. Leaving this a short distance after 
crossing the said bayor^, we enter the prairie which spreads eastward 
from the Bayou Plaquemine Brulee. Following the edge of this prairie 
for a mile and a half we enter the heavy timber of Bellevue. The rail- 
road and old stage road pass for some five miles through a forest of 
magnificent oak, magnolia, hickory, ash and other valuable trees.when 



ST. MABTIN PABISE. 218- 



we debouch upon the beautiful prairie where stands the ancient village . 
of Grand Coteau. ."..„.'' .-■'-., , , 

The land of this prairie is very fertile, and produces fine crops of 
cotton, corn, oats, etc. ■ . 

The famous St. Charles College, in charge of Catholic clergymen, is 
situated at Grand Coteau. It is an old but large institution, capable of . 
accommodating a couple of hundred or more students. The Convent . 
of the Sacred Heart is under the superintendence of Jesuits. Before the 
war these institutions were very flourishing, as many of our best , 
citizens received a fine education, and many of our most accomplished 
women their tuition within their walls. They have, connected with the 
seminaries, a model farm, upon which they raise stock, as well as 
everything required for the support and comfort of these institutions. 
The chief attractions of the village are the superb gardens and shrub- 
bery with which it is ' • ~" mnded. Everybody here seems to be living 
in ease and comfort. Tha railroad depot has been located about one 
mile west of the villa.. _. *-.,-. 

Wild Game, etc.— Many portions of St. Landry abound in the finest 
of game. In the fall and winter and the early part of spring ducks 
and geese are to be found almost everywhere about the ponds and 
sloughs, which are quite numerous in the prairies. Prairie chickens 
are pretty abundant some distance west of Opelousas, as are also 
snipe, quails, etc. Bear, turkeys, deer roam the dense woods border- 
ing on the Atchafalaya, Calcasieu, Boeuf, Crocodile and other streams. 
Our hunting grounds afford much pleasure and recreation to sports- 
men, and not a few of them literally pass the hunting or game season 
with gun in hand and a brace or two of well-trained pointers or setters 

£\ t" t" \\ PIT* T"l pp! S 

The finest kind of fish— trout, bass, white and sun perch, and all 
other varieties of the finny tribe— can be caught in our larger streams 
and lakes and lagoons. 

Temperature, Location, etc.— The location of the table lands of St. 
Landry is high above overflow, and, in point of health, will compare 
favorably with any portion of the Western States. The average tem- 
perature' of the summer in this section is not oppressive owing to the 
regular sea breeze which refreshes and invigorates. Strangers are 
struck with the beauty and coolness of our nights. There is not expe- 
rienced that lassitude in the morning which is felt at St. Louis and 
other points in the North after enduring the stifled and heated atmos- 
phere of the night. Sleep is enjoyed ; and the only trouble we have 
experienced is, in being willing to retire to resc and lose the enjoyment 
of a Southern night. Its soft and balmly air, the clear and limpid 
firmament above, the sweet song of the mocking bird, all conspire to 
charm us into a forgetf ulness of "dull and carking cares," and we rise 
from such a night of slumber with health, and spirits and strength 
renewed for the labors of the day. 

We most urgently request, the stranger and pilgrim to turn their 
faces to our land of prairie, carefully look at its position, its resources, 
its beauty and productiveness, and then we ask no more. 

Population,— The census taken recently show a population of 39,271 
in the parish. This is larger, by several thousands, than any other 
parish in the State except Orleans. 

ST. MARTIN PARISH. 

NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 

The parish of St. Martin is bounded on the west by Lafayette, on the 
south by Iberia and on the east by the parish of Iberville. The ex- 
treme length of the parish is twenty-four miles, and its extreme width 



$U LOUISIANA 



about the same. It contains 500 square miles of rich prairie, swamp 
lands, heavily timbered and tillable lands, covered with the finest 
bodies of timber in the State, suitable for sugar wood, building pur- 
poses, cabinet work, wagons, plows, and woodenware generally. The 
parish, as originally settled about the year 1762 by the Acadian 
refugees and French emigrants, embraced all of the territory from 
the eastern boundary of St. Landry to Berwick's Bay, but was organ- 
ized with its present outlines in 1804. . The population, according to 
the census of 1870, was 9370, which has increased to 12,844 in 1880. The 
water surface of the parish includes, perhaps, one-tenth of the entire 
area comprised within its boundaries, which is increased to about one- 
fourth during the prevalence of strong winds and high tides. The 
elevation of the uplands will range from fifteen to twenty-five feet 
above low tide- water. 

Climate and Health.— The health record of St. Martin parish is re- 
markably favorable, there being few diseases that are common, and 
these generally of a malarial type, brought about by exposure in the 
swamps and lowlands, where persons are engaged in the business of 
lumbering. During the summer months the mercury rarely rises 
above 90° or falls below 28° in the winter. There are no swamps, ponds 
or wet prairies near the Bayou Teche to generate disease ; the grown 
people and children look healthy, and there is a goodly number of old 
folks in the parish, 70 and 80 years not being considered unusual ages 
among those born in the country or acclimated. Yellow fever is un- 
known in the parish, except in isolated cases derived from infected 
sections, and these have never been known to spread. At the time of 
this writing the town of St. Martinsville, with a population of 1600, has 
only three persons reported on its sick list, and it is thought that one 
active phvsician might readily do all the practice of the parish, if pro- 
vided with adequate transportation from point to point. 

Quality of the Soil.— As to the richness of soil and all the qualities 
that are essential to any soil— drainage, ease of cultivation, its wearing 
and enduring properties— no portion of Louisiana can excel those of 
the valley of the Teche in the parish of St. Martin. The average width 
of tillable lands on the west side of the Teche is over three miles. Very 
nearly one-half of the parish consists of alluvial lowlands of remark- 
able productive capacity, but requiring some expenditures in the matter 
of levees and drainage. The remainder is a dark, heavy and somewhat 
sandy soil, which is readily cultivated and yields abundantly. About 
one-third of the land surface of the parish is prairie, and one-half of . 
this is probably under cultivation at the present time. 

Timber.— From the open prairie, which runs parallel with and near 
the Teche to the Atchafalaya Kiver, on the eastern boundary of the 

farish, is an almost unbroken forest of the finest timber in the State, 
n the swamps of the Atchafalaya are to be found millions of cypress 
trees, many of which are from three to four feet in diameter. Between 
these and the Teche prairie, on the tillable land there | are timber for- 
ests of ash, gum, hickory, black walnut, magnolia, various kinds of- 
oak, linn, pecan, sycamore, and other growths of less importance. At 
this time there are three excellent steam saw-mills in operation, which 
turn out enough lumber to supply the local demand as well as that 
from some of the adjacent parishes. Hedging is carried on to some 
extent, in portions of the parish, with the Cherokee rose and bois d'arc; 
out during the war some of the largest hedges were permitted to go to 
destruction, and have not since received attention. In almost every 
section may be found an abundance of timber. 

Water.— Among the most important bodies of water in the parish 
are the following: Vermilion, Tortue, DeGlaize, Long, Boute and 
Pigeon Bayous ; Dauterive, Grand, Fosse Pointe, Tasse, Martin and 
Catahoula Lakes, and the Atchafalaya, Grand and Alabama Bivers 



ST. MARTIN PAKlbE. 215 



All of these bayous and rivers are navigable within the limits of the 
parish, except Vermilion and Tortue Bayous. There are no wells used 
m the parish, the numerous water courses supplying an abundance of 
water for stock, while cisterns furnish rain water for domestic pur- 
poses. 

Field Crops and Their Yield,— The soil of St. Martin is adapted for 
the successful and profitable cultivation of a great variety of field and 
garden crops, but up to the present time the attention of the in Habi- 
tants has been especially devoted to the production of sugar, cotton, 
corn and potatoes. The yield per acre under suitable or ordinary cul- 
tivation, such as is generally practiced in the country, is about as fol- 
lows : Sugar, from one and a half to two hogsheads ; molasses, from 
two and one-fourth to three barrels ; cotton, from one-half to one bale ; 
corn, from 20 to 25 barrels ; sweet potatoes, about 300 bushels ; Irish 
potatoes, about 190 bushels. Other crops, such as onions, pumpkins, 
cabbages, turnips, tobacco and indigo, are successfully grown. Two 
crops of Irish potatoes may be harvested during a single year, while 
the sweet potato grows all the year round. The sugar crop for 18S0 -81 
was 3549 hogsheads, at which time there were seventy-eight plantations 
under cultivation, with thirty-nine sugar-houses, twenty-two of which 
were operated by steam and seventeen by horse power. There were 
also at the same time in use in the parish two vacuum pans, thirty-five 
open kettles and two open pans. Carrat tobacoo is manufactured at 
Grand Pointe, three crops being sometimes harvested during the year. 

Prices of Lands.— There is no land at the present time in the parish 
for entry under the United States government homestead acts, and 
that belonging to the State being classed as swamp lands, cannot be 
considered desirable for immigrants, especially those with limited 
means. There are, however, an abundance of first-class lands in the 
hands of private persons, along the Bayou Teche and in other desir- 
able sections of the parish, which may be had upon favorable terms 
and in tracts to suit the views of the purchasers. In fact, all the prin- 
cipal land-owners in St. Martin are disposed to encourage immigration 
to the parish, and will sell off their surplus lands in small parcels at 
reasonable figures for cash or on time. Some of the best of the unim- 
proved lands in the parish can be secured at prices ranging from $5 to 
$10 per acre, and there are improved places that may be had at about 
the cost of the improvements on the same. As an evidence of what 
may be accomplished in St. Martin by persons with limited means is 
cited the fact that since the war a number of industrious colored men 
purchased, on credit, small tracts of land, ranging from forty to fifty 
acres, at from $15 to $20 per acre, from the cultivation of which they 
have since realized enough to pay for the land and supply themselves 
with comfortable homes and with all necessary horses, horned cattle, 
hogs and farming implements, while some of them have a surplus of 
cash on hand for future investment. 

Churches and Sc/too/.s- —The most extensive religious denomination 
in the parish is the Roman Catholic, but most of the Protestant 
churches are represented In the population, and some of them are pro- 
vided with suitable buildings for public worship. The parish is also 
supplied with free schools during a few months of the year and several 
private schools, all of which are well attended while open. 

Labor and Wages.— The supply of field labor is principally drawn 
from the colored population, who, as a general thing, appear to be 
giving satisfaction at the present time, although white laboiers, equally 
reliable, are preferred. Field hands receive from $10 to $18 per month 
with rations. The share system has been extensively adopted by the 
planters of St. Martin, and so far as ascertained gives general satisfac- 
tion, especially to the tenants and croppers. 

St&ck Eaising. —There are some persons in the parish who devote 



216 LOUISIANA. 



attention to raising stock, but mainly with a view to supply the local 
demand, although sales are made from time to time to the inhabitants 
of adjoining parishes. The facilities for stock raising in St. Martin are 
not surpassed in the State. 

(Mies and Towns.— St. Martinsville, the seat of justice of St. Martin 
parish, is located on the Bayou Teche, and has a population of 1600 
i arson's. It has long been an important shipping point for the products 
of St. Martin and adjoining parishes, the navigation of the bayou be- 
ing good all the year. The town is supplied with a good brick court- 
house, jail, four churches, two public and two private schools, twenty- 
three stores, a brick market house, three blacksmith shops, one tin- 
smith, three cooper shops, several carpenters and builders, one tailor, 
three bakers, four coffee-houses, four physicians, six lawyers, four 
livery stables, two hotels, a brass band, two fire companies and a weekly 
newspaper— the Attakapas Sentinel -published in the English and. 
French languages. The town is well governed and orderly, and the 
local business is reported flourishing;. The inhabitants at this time are 
agitating the project of a railway connection by means of a branch to 
St, Martinsville station on Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Eailroad, a 
distance of five miles, which is now reached by a daily line of hacks. 
To a stranger the town of St. Martinsville appears rather old-fashioned 
and, to some extent, dilapidated; but a brief sojourn will convince him 
that a large amount of business is still transacted here in a quiet and 
unassuming way. 

Breaux Bridge is a very pretty little village about half-way between 
St. Martinsville and the junction of the Fuselier and Teche. It has a 
livery stable, hotel, Catholic church, good schools, a lyceum, a brass 
band and other proofs of progress and civilization. 

Market Facilities.- St. Martinsville is distant from New Orleans 135 
miles by rail, and has uninterrupted water communication with the 
same city throughout the entire year. As a fruit growing region St. 
Martin is unsurpassed in both variety and quality. These fruits in- 
clude oranges, lemons, figs, plums, peaches, pears, bananas, grapes, 
apples, persimmons, pomegranates, and, in brief, every other variety 
common to a semi-tropical climate. In the way of garden vegetables, 
as previously stated, tnere is scarcely a limit to the productive capacity 
of the soil. 

Miscellaneous.— At present there is no organization in the parish 
looking to the encouragement of immigration from abroad, but the 
people seem to be thoroughly aroused as to its importance. As evi- 
dence of this it can be stated that many large owners have divided 
their lands into small tracts and are offering the same to newcomers, 
as well as to residents of limited means, at very low rates, agreeing to 
receive crops at stipulated prices in payment for the same. In the 
matter of game and fish St. Martin excels most of her neighboring 

Earishes. Sheephead, perch, catfish, trout and numerous other small 
sh are abundant in the waters, while wild ducks, geese, woodcock, 
snipe, quail and lone plover may be had in season. In the way of 
quadrupeds there are bears, deer, rabbits, squirrels, etc., all of ■which 
are within easy reach of a steady nerve and quick trigger. 



ST. MARY'S PARISH. 

BY B. F. WINCHESTER, FRANKLIN. 
One glance at the map of Louisiana will show that the parish of St. 
Mary is about eighty miles in a southwesterly direction from New Or- 
leans, the great emporium of the South. Though marred of her full 
and fair proportion by the creation of the new parish of New Iberia in 



ST. MARY PA RISTT. 217 



18G8, St. Marv may still be considered the empire parish of Louisiana, 
Her population amounts lo ](>.470, one-third of which is while, the 
balance colored. The whites are mostly of American and French de- 
scent, and hot h languages are heard spoken throughout the parish;, 
Surrounded by navigable waters, except where she borders on the par- 
ish of Iberia, St. Mary presents an arcadia, fertile in resources, of about 
twenty miles wide, by a length of over double the distance. 

Fanned by the cool breezes of the Gulf, the traveler whether he goes 
through this parish on one of the daily packets that plot gh the quiet 
bosom of the classic Teche, or comes dashing back on the iron horse 
of the Morgan Railroad, feels that all his senses have been gratified 
and delighted. The rapid panorama of his trip, will ever keep fresh 
in his mind, multifarious wealth of luxuriauce such as no other spot 
can ever present or satisfy. 

But sugar is the great crop of the parish. The crop of isr.i c>2 
amounted to 48,779 hogsheads. The large landed Baronial system 
which existed at that day. is gradually fading away. No longer does 
the wise planter of to-day think that he must own. and do everything 
and have everything on his own plantation under his sole control, be 
agriculturalist and manufacturer at the same time. Advancing civili- 
zation and its attendant benefrs, together with the uncertainty of 
labor, have evolved from a harsh necessity the great advantages of the 
division of labor. And to-day central sugar houses, where the crude 
article is refined into white clarified sugar, are springing up through- 
out the parish. But a few years ago,' every man planted his cane, 
ground and made ir, into low" brown sugar. To-day, many who could 
not erect sugar houses, have their cane now ground at the local refin- 
eries. The expense and extravagance of many little sugar houses have 
been put aside. Lands that were heretofore useless as sugar lands, for 
want of means to erect sugar houses, however intrinsically good for 
splendid cane, are now rendered valuable by the separate manufacturer 
taking all that the agriculturist can produce. The breaking up of the 
old-fashioned plartaiion system throws into market lands of every 
price and size for sale. 

The lands of St. Mary are not swampy and all marshvasmany 
would think. Belle Isle and Cote Blanche are more than 1 60 feet above 
the level of the Gulf; the balance of the arable land ranges from ten 
to fifteen feet above tide-water, which is from one to two feet in all the 
bayous and lakes of the parish. The sea-marsh, which is only under 
water during storms from the Gulf, and so easily faried, can Well be 
reclaimed for rice, as so conclusivelv shown hv the Land Reclamation 
Company of Louisiana. Any soil that is alluvial, imbedded in rich 
and deep vegetable deposit, is inexhaustible, and such is the geologi- 
cal formation of the greater part of fc»t. Mary. Reclaimed lands are 
fine for rice, sweet and Irish potatoes, pumpkins, peas, hay v cabbaeres, 
tobacco, beans, castor oil be'.ns, ramie and indigo, not to mention * \a 
island cotton, which in a season not too wet, is more remunerative tk\m 
anv other crop. 

The yield of cane is one hogsheads and a quarter per acre ; in a good 
.season this amount is nearly doubled. St. Mary lands, not flooded, 
produce 1500 pounds of rice per acre. 

Oranges, from the 8eed, bear in about six years, though some trees 
in favored localities bear earlier A full-grown healthv orange tree 
will produce between 4500 and 5000 oranges, and 300 to 400 will fill a 
common flour-barrel. 

The Japan plum, or mespilus, is so common that it is looked upon 
as indigenous. Severe cold will cause the fruit to fail, but never kills 
the trees. 

The ordinary muscadine, or black scuppernong grape, is found wild 
in the woods and swamps, whilst a white grape is cultivated in family 



28 



218 LOUISIANA. 



gardens— the delicate flavor of which reminds the connoisseur of 
Inateau Yquem. 

Blackberries and dewberries are found growing wild everywhere 
along the roads, hedges, fences and ditches. Strawberries require care 
and attention. 

The great basin of the Atchafalaya, which receives the surplus water. 
of the Mississippi at the mouth of Red Eiver, and in its course to the 
gulf serves to drain the innumerable bayous and lakes of St. Mary, not 
only converts our winter climate into the Indian summer of the Mid- 
dle States, but opens to our trade an inexhaustible supply of lumber. 
At Morgan City the steamship wharves are made from cypress ob- 
tained from but a short distance, and at small cost, from the neighbor- 
ing woods and swamps. Millions -of erossties taken from the same 
localities, received at this port, along with sawed and dressed lumber 
from mills throughout the parish, are shipped to Texas, and have been 
the economical means of building so cheaply the great railroads from 
this point to the centre of the Lone Star State. Berwick's Bay, with a 
width of nearly a mile and a depth at Morgan City of eighty i'eet, pre- 
sents every facility for ship building. For, over and above" the great 
supply of cypress, it is within a few miles of the great " live oak re- 
gion," where these monarchs of the forest, with their gnarled and 
knotted compactness, still flourish in undiminished numbers in spite 
of the drafts of the United States Navy from here to supply their At- 
lantic yards, But, besides the oak and cypress, the bayous and wood- 
land of St. Maiy are lined with ash, elm, sweetgum, black walnut, 
hickory and the beautiful magnolia, whilst the china, catalpa and 
black locust, which grow rapidly when planted about dwellings, serve 
for firewood, and burn well even when green. So high and rapid are 
the remunerative wages of the swamper and dealer in logs and lumber, 
that moss, which heretofore was quite a thriving enterprise, going band 
in hand with the felling of trees, has declined considerably, and from 
100,000,pounds of export has fallen to perhaps less than 40.000 pounds. 

Thus the big, grasping speculator in large enterprises casts aside and 
passes by these lessor articles and neglects what in a dense population. 
with economy and thrift, becomes with "If, petit commerce" a source of 
great wealth. "At Lincoln Cathedral there is a beautiful painted win- 
dow which was made by an apprentice out of the pieces of glass that 
had been rejected by his master. It is so far superior to every other 
in the church that, according to the tradition, the vanquished artist 
killed himself from mortification." The blind hog may eventually 
stumble upon the acorn. 

The 115 sugar-houses of the parish give constant employment to 
skilled labor, and the work of the mechanic is as high here as in any 
place in the country. 

. Franklin, the county-seat, is a beautiful village, situated on the 
Teehe, near the middle of the parish; has a population of 1500, with 
fine private aesidences, shrubbery, brick-stores— all indicating fixed 
capital and comfort. It has a Methodist, Episcopal and Catholic 
church— the colored people have three churches ; a ship-yard, ice-fac- 
tory, saw-mill, three or four high-schools— which make Franklin a 
very desirable locality. 

Morgan City, the commercial entrepot of Attakapas, situated on 
Berwick's Bay, about 18 miles from the Gulf, and with a population of 
2000 inhabitants, has a network of communication, by water courses 
through the Atchafalaya and Missssippi Rivers, to the western cities 
and New Orleans. By steamboats to St. Martin, Iberia, Vermilion ; by 
steamships to Galveston, Indianola, Corpus Christi and Brazos, and 
next month to Vera Cruz. It has a half a mile of wharves for the 
Morgan's Railroad and Steamship Company, a Methdist and Catholic 
church, a large Episcopal School, where service is held ; a Jewish 



st. Tammany' parish. j.19 



synagogue, two colored churches, three private schools, city hall, jail, 
a large and spacious public hall, etc., answer the requirements of the 
present public. , . . i..,^. ±i 

But it is the situation of Morgan City and its future capabilities that 
make it peculiarly attractive to the man of energy and capital. A 
sugar refinery at this point could get concentrated syrup from the 
small planters of St. Marv, from Cuba and Demerara, refine and ship 
the white sugar by means of our railroad connections to Texas, Kansas 
and the far western territories before sailing vessels with the crude 
article from the gulf islands could carry the same to New York and 
Boston to be refined. Being but a few days sail from Cuba the saving of 
time and heavy freight on the raw material is apparent. 

There is, perhaps, no spot to be found on the map of the United states 
where oysters, shrrmos and vegetables, such as tomatoes, could be 
more cheaply canned." Oysters are peddled in the streets of Morgan 
City at ten cents a dozen, can be bought on the oyster boats at the 
wharf at fifty cents a hundred, and a million a month can be furnished 
if contracted for at thirty cents a hundred, if taken immediately on 
arrival. The luscious quality of the Berwick Bay oyster is too well 
known in New Orleans and Texas to require a word of praise here. En 
passant, we will mention that Mrs. F. E. Lawrence, who owns some 
2000 acres of land, mostly bordering on the bay front, just outside and 
above the corporation of Morgan City, and from whose father the town 
of Brashear was named, makes a standing offer to donate a sufficient 
quantity of land for the site of a sugar refinery or manufactory ot any 

Berwick, a thriving little village of 700 inhabitants, situated on the 
western side of Berwick's Bav and opposite Morgan City, with its two 
ship-yards and latest improvements, challenges any other yards of the 
Union, to build, launch or repair sea going vessels, or furnish bet 
ter bottoms at cheaper rates than they can. 

Pattersonville. Centreville and Charenton, little villages on the Teche, 
with churches, schools and stores need more mention than can be 
given them in this short article. 

The lands of St. Mary with their rich returns, so feebly portrayed 
herein, can be bought from $6 to $30 an acre, depending upon locality 
and improvement. The public lands are mostly subject to tidal over- 
flow and are sold by the Government at from 25 cents to Si. 25 per acre, 
and are ten times more productive than the lands of Holland, when 
similarly reclaimed. A parish where sugar and molasses pay so well, 
of course, fails to estimate the traffic in which otter and coon skins, 
alligator hides and oil, poultry and eggs, fish and shells abound, and 
which aids so considerably the poorer classes in meeting their necessary 

Wcints 

TlieState Superintendent of Public Education reports twenty-one 
colored and eleven white public schools in the parish of St. Mary. The 
statistics of health compares not only favorably with the healthiest of 
climes, but shows a ratio of longevity in St. Mary seldom attained 

Labor is" needed in St. Mary, but Chinese are the last to be accepted. 

ST. TAMMANY PARISH. 

BY JUDGE J. M. THOMPSON, COVINGTON. 

Position and Extent- This oarish is situated in the southeastern cor- 
ner of the State immediately north of Lake Pontchartrain, and ex- 
tends about thirty-three miles from east to west and about thirty-six 
miles from north to south. It was organized in 1814, and at that time 



220 LOUISIANA. 



contained the territory now embraced in the parish of Washington and 
a large portion of the parish of Tangipahoa. The present rate of tax- 
ation is ten mills. 

The entire parish is heavily timbered. Pearl river and Bogue 
Chitto, forming the eastern boundary, have bottom lands along their 
banks varying from one to three miles in depth. The other numerous 
streams have but a narrow skirt, only a few hundred yards in width. 
Bonfoucca, Bayou Liberty, Bayou Lacombe, Tchefuncta, Abita, Pont- 
chatoloway and Bogue Falia are all navigable streams, some of them 
being navigated for twenty miles above their mouths. The entire par- 
ish is filled with streams of clear, cold water, and there is scarcely a 
spot in the parish where fine well water cannot be found at a short 
distance from the surface. 

With the exception of the creek" and river bottoms, and the swamp 
above Lake Pontchartrain, the surface of the parish is covered witn a 
heavy and valuable growth of pine. Numerous creeks afford a cheap 
and easy mode of carrying the logs, wood, charcoal, tar, and other 
.products of this forest, to the New Orleans market. In the bottoms of 
the creeks and rivers, magnolia, beech, gum, oak, hickory, ash, 
'cypress, dogwood and holly abound. Along the lake coast are valua- 
ble tiacts of live-oak. In the bottoms of Pea 1 Kiver and Bogue 
Chitto vast quantities of white-oak timber are found. 

Quality of Soil. —The bottom land is productive and similar to that 
lying along all the small creeks and bayous of the State. The pine 
lands generally have a surface soil of sandy loam, varying from sit to 
twelve inches in d3pth, under which is found a stiff cla»y, impervious 
to water. No minerals are known to exist. The clay is of a fine qual- 
ity for making brick, and m> to the commencement, of the" late war 
all the paving brick and a large proportion of the building brick used 
in JSew Orleans were made in this parish. A very fine article of pot- 
tery has also been made from it. 

Sand suitable for the manufacture of glass is found in large quanti- 
ties. 

Products. — No me would suppose from the appearance and nature of 
the pine lands that they could be cultivated with any success. Without 
fertilizers they are good for nothing after the timber has been re- 
moved, yet it is doubtful whether any other soil can produce such 
results with the application of an equal quantity of manure. 

Up to 1870 it would have been considered foolish for anv one to have 
planted a crop of sugar cane on this soil. About that time a few enter- 
prising men commenced experimenting with small patches of cane, 
and the results were so encouraging that there are now over thirty 
small sugar mills in operation. Two thousand pounds of sugar have 
been frequently obtained from one acre of pine land. With 2U0 pounds 
of bone dust, costing about $4 delivered at the farm, more than one 
hogshead to the acre can be relied on. The same amount of bone dust 
will produce from twenty-five to thirty bushels of corn, from twenty 
to thirty bushels of oats and three-quarters of a bale of cotton per 
acre. Irish and sweet potatoes, peas and rice are all raised with suc- 
cess. The area planted in sugar cane and oats is rapidly increasing 
each year, and these bid fair to be the favorite crops. 

A good market for all products can be found in Covington— the parish 
seat— at very little under the New Orleans prices, but the chan-es for 
freight between Covington and New Orleans are so very low, that the 
farmers generally ship to that market. Freight charges to New Or- 
leans are as follows : Cotton, 25 cents per bale ; sugar, 75 cents per boas- 
head ; potatoes, 15 cents per barrel; corn, 15 cents per sack; cattle, 
75 cents to #1 pur head, and other things in proportion. 

There is great need of larger sugar mills and improved machinery. 
A large central manufactory at Covington is much needed. With the 



ST. TAMMANY PARISH. 221 



present imperfect modes of manufacturing sugar, the profit on an acre 
of cane will average fifty dollars. 

Health.— There are no large swamps to produce malaria. Most of the 
pine woods are high, dry and open to the air. The heat is never in- 
tense, and many winters pass without its being cold enough to produce 
ice, consequently the parish is remarkably healthy. Although this 
parish has always had daily intercourse with New Orleans and never 
established a quarantine, no epidemic has ever prevailed. In 1867 and 
1878 many persons traveled daily between New Orleans and Covington 
and hundreds of families found refuge in St, Tammany, yet not a single 
case of yellow fever occurred and the health of the parish was remark- 
ably good. 

Good water is found in abundance all over the parish- all clear, cool 
and pleasant to the taste. In the vicinity of Covington are many fine 
mineral wells and springs. The Abita Springs, three miles from Cov- 
ington, are the resort of a large and constantly increasing number of 
invalids, and many of the wells in Covington have acquired quite a 
reputation by their numerous cures. 

The thermometer rarely reaches 88° in the summer or falls below 40° 
in winter. The nights are cool and the air seems to possess remarka- 
ble curative powers in all diseases of the lungs and throat. A well- 
authenticated case of sunstroke has never been known in this parish. 

Population. — The estimated population is about 7000, principally of 
American descent. On Bayou Lacombe and Bonfoucca there are a 
good many Creoles, and several hundred Germans are scattered around 
the parish, generally within a few miles of the towns. They all make 
successful farmers. The whites exceed the blacks by from 1500 to 2000. 

There is not much improved land offered for sale in this parish. The 

Erice of improved land varies from $1 to $5 per acre. More than one- 
alt' the land still belongs to the State or United States government. 
Private land can be purchased in tracts of from five to six hundred and 
forty acres. Improved land is rented for one-fourth the net proceeds. 

Nearly all the religious denominations are well represented. The 
Catholics, Methodists and Baptists have churches all over the parish. 
Every ward in the parish has either a public or private school— some- 
times both. 

Labor.— Around the town colored labor is generally employed. 
Most of the farming is done by white men, who generally own the 
land. Industrious white or colored men can always find employment 
at about $15 per month with board, If they prefer to work the crop on 
shares they get one-quarter, farmer furnishing everything. 

The supply of mechanics is equal to the demand. No Chinese 
wanted, but there is a great demand for reliable labor, either white or 
colored. White men. both native born and foreign, can, and do, work 
all the year in the field with safety. 

Both land and living are so very cheap that there is no place where 
the immigrant can make a start on less money. Immigrants from 
any portion of Europe would be eagerly welcomed, but no efforts have 
yet been made to secure any. Suitable land can be obtained from the 
Government under the homestead law, and the timber for fences and 
buildings will be found on the land. 

Stock Raising.- Neither cattle nor sheep are fed during the entire 
year. Both are profitable, but sheep pay far better than cattle. At 
present the busieess of stock raising is very badly conducted. Many 
stock owners do not see their stock for months at a time. No herders 
are ever in charge of the sheep, and they are turned adrift at the 
mercy of hogs, dogs and buzzards. Consequently the losses are heavy, 
and yet with all these drawbacks the business is very profitable. There 
are no burs to injure the wool, and they do not seem to suffer from any 



222 LOUISIANA. 



diseases. The flocks of cattle vary from forty to five hundred head in 
number and sheep from one hundred to one thousand. 

Cattle yield 25 per cent, profit; sheep from 45 to 50 per cent., accord- 
ing to the amount of attention paid to them. 

The streams of the parish afford plenty of water power for manufac- 
turing, but there are no manufactories in the parish. The water is 
remarkably clear and pure, and many fine locations could be found for 
paper manufactories. 

Market.— New Orleans is the nearest and best market. Schooners 
and steamboats ply daily, making the trip in a few hours. 

iruus.— Figs, pomegranates, peaches, apples, pears, plums, cherries, 
grapes, pecans and walnuts grow in every portion of the parish. Straw- 
berries are profitable. Along the lake coast the orange thrives very 
well, and a good many orchards have been recently planted. Several 
varieties of the grape have proved very profitable and some of our 
German and French citizens have commenced making wine on a small 
scale. 

Vegetables. — All kinds of vegetables grow well. The health of the 
parish is yearly attracting large numbers of people to the towns of Cov- 
ington and Mandeville. This affords a ready market for all the vege- 
tables and fruits that can be raised by those engaged in this business. 
In fact the supply is not near equal to the demand. 

Industries. — The nearness of the New Orleans market and the cheap- 
ness of transportation, render this parish a fine site for almost any 
industry. 

When disease prevailed to an alarming extent among the silk worms 
of Italy, the Government of that country sought to renew the stock of 
worms by importing eggs from other countries. For this purpose a 
premium was offered for the finest eggs. Mr. John Kocchi carried off 
this premium, with eggs raised at his place in Covington. All varieties 
of the mulberry flourish with great vigor and there is no doubt but silk 
could be produced with profit. 

Bees succeed well and produce fine honey. 

The fine grass range makes the production of milk and butter very 
profitable. Poultry require but little feed or care. 

There is but one "tannery in the parish. It is doing a profitable busi- 
ness. 

The vast quantity of pine timber in this parish makes it a fine site 
for saw mills. 

Fine sites for brick-yards are found along the navigable bayous and 
rivers of the parish. Several brick-yards and saw mills are now in 
operation. 

Game and Fish. — All the bayous and rivers are well stocked with 
every variety of perch, black bass, striped bass, catfish, buffalo, rock- 
fish and suckers. In Lake Pontchartrain sheephead, redfish, croak- 
ers, flounders and other varieties of salt-water fish are found. 

Game is abundant. Deer, turkeys, squirrels and quail are found all 
over the parish. In the swamps of Pearl river there are a good many 
bears. Ducks, woodcocks and snipe visit us in winter. 

An industrious man can cultivate from fifteen to twenty acres in 
mixed crops, say four in cane, four in cotton, ten in corn, two and a, 
half in sweet potatoes. Besides these crops he can cultivate several 
acres in red oats, they being planted in the fall and reaped in June. 
In addition to this work, he can attend to a small stock of sheep and 
cattle. 

Now, in estimating this crop I will place the result at the figures 
actually produced by five or six g-ood farmers of this parish : 

Four acres in sugar, 1800 pounds per acre, 7200 pounds. 

Two barrels of molasses (80 gallons) at 20 cents. 

Four acres in cotton, one bale per acre, 2000 pounds. 



TANGIPAHOA PARISH. 223 



Ten acres in corn, 30 bushe's per acre, 300 bushels. 

Two and a half acres in potatoes, 150 bushels per acre, 375 bushels. 

Sugar, at 6 cents per pound $432 00 

Molasses, at 20 cents per gallon - 10 00 

Cotton, at 10 cents per pound - - 200 00 

Corn, at 50 cents per bushel — 150 00 

Potatoes, at 30 cents per bushel ..- .... *.— . 112 50 

Total •-, ...$910 50 

The oat crop should be worth at least $100 more. The wool product 
would of course be in proportion to the number of sheep. 

A flock of 100 sheep will yield the following results in a good year : 

50 head of lambs, $1 50 per head $75 00 

3ilbs. of wool to each grown sheep, 350 lbs. in all. at 25c, *$ ft>.. 87 50 

Total product $162 50 

If the sheep were properly attended to, these figures could be relied 
upon as a fair average ; but as the sheep are never fed and have no 
herder in charge of them, some getidrowned, others are killed by dogs, 
and the buzzards and hogs pick up many lambs. In spite.of these 
drawbacks, however, the profits will average 50 per cent. 

It would be difficult to select special cases of individual success, for 
they are numerous. Any industrious, intelligent man will certainly 
succeed at either farming or sheep-raising in this parish. "We have 
Germans, Irish, English and French farmers who labor in the field all 
the year round. They neither suffer from heat nor ill-health, and are 
rapidly accumulating property. 



TANGIPAHOA PARISH. 

BY ROBERT LYNNE, INDEPENDENCE. 

This parish has an average length north and south of fifty miles by 
twenty wide, with a railroad through its centre, connecting with all 
roads to cities north and west, having New Orleans for its southern 
terminus ; is one of the new parishes created since the war by taking 
slices from St. Tammany and Washington on the east and Livingston 
and St. Helena on the west. Parallel with the railroad, and distant 
from it but a half mile on the north end, and six miles on the south 
end of the parish, runs the Tangipahoa Kiver, now navigable for 
twenty miles only, but with a constant depth of two and a half feet 
water; can be made navigable for a distance of sixty miles from its 
mouth by the removal of overhanging trees and logs. At present an 
appropriation by the National Government is announced, but the 
amount ($5000) will not be sufficient, and a further one will no doubt 
follow. 

The southern half of the parish is generally level pine woods! land, 
whose sparse population is mainly occupied in timber getting, with 
some few pretty large stock ranches near the lake marshes where the 
stock winter well in the cane. The northern half is mainly agricul- 
tural ; but four saw mills, one brickyard and one cotton gin factory. 
The main business is farming-; the little stores, repair shops, etc., are 
supported by the farmers. No manufactories other than those men- 
tioned, and even the products of the farm for export is restricted to 
cotton, chickens, egps ? butter and such things as do not weigh much 
and are worth something more than double the cost of freight and 
commissions. Soil well adapted for potatoes, hay and all garden veg- 
etables. Potatoes and hay don't pay to ship and only enough produced 



224 LOUISIANA. 



for home use. Some facilities lately offered by the railroad promises a 
future for small fruits and vegetables for shipment to Northern mar- 
kets, but this branch of agriculture is new to our people and is looked 
upon with distrust because they don't understand it. 

The northern half is undulating pine woods, with a strip of swamp 
or hummock of from one to fire hundred yards on the margins of the 
streams and creeks. All of this land has a clay sub-soil and is easily 
made highly productive. The best of the fresh cleared lands will 
bring but three or four good crops without manure, and it may as well 
be remarked that poor farming won't pay here, while every effort at 
good farming has been successful. To clean up a virgin soil and 
cultivate till worn out has been, and to some extent still is, the time- 
honored custom. Any farmer from the older-settled States or Europe 
can make these abandoned fields productive cheaper than he can tame 
a new one. 1 have by the application of twenty-five cart loads of stable 
manure to the acre made 7 hogsheads of sugar and 16 barrels of mo- 
lasses from five acres of one of these old pine fields, and on another 
piece a bale of cotten to the acre by the same means. The average 

Eroduct in cotton is one-third bale ; of corn, 12 bushels ; potatoes, 50 
ushels ; oats, 18 bushels. This low average is due to primitive style 
of culture, and is no criterion of the real productive capacity of the 
soil. The prices of these products for 1879 was : cotton, 10 \o. per pound; 
corn, 75c. per bushel ; oats. 65c. ; potatoes. 40c. 

The production of sugar is yet in its infancy, but enough is known 
now to rank it at the head of the money crops on the farm; lack of 
knowledge to manufacture a merchantable article, and lack of means 
to procure the necessary apparatus, still prevents its adoption., The 
custom of advances on the growing crop also contributes to prevent it, 
as these advances are only made on cotton ; hence the inducement to 
grow cotton is often beyond the power of the farmer to resist. A 
shiftless husbandry produced this species of usury, and usage con- 
tinues it "till the unpaid bill of items becomes oppressive and the un- 
systematic farmer either billets himself on relatives or moves off to 
the thick woods." This is about how we do in a country having in 
summer a constant breeze, good spring and well water, land well 
adapted for good farming, well drained and free from malaria, whose 
sugar, wool, dairy products and small fruits can be sold for cash in any 
market and the profits on which will reward skill with competence. 

The present population were born here, and their ancestors for three 
or four generations— the whites in the ratio of three-fifths and blacks 
two-fifths -both peaceable and generally well behaved. Some few for- 
eigners-Germans, Irish, Danes, and one Chinaman ; and that is as 
much of the Asiatic as we care for. He may prove useful on the plan- 
tations, but let him go home when he has saved enough. We don't 
want him as a citizen ; his older civilization has produced a thrift and 
economy that would eventuate in his becoming the employer and the 
white man shoved north of the lakes. There is enough labor here, 
and the only immigrants desired are such as can pay their own ex- 
penses and have some means to start farming with when they get here. 
To come here from Europe and expect employment at wages that will 
in a few years buy farms will not do to rely on. These promises of $20 
a month sometimes mean pay in goods from the store at 50 to 150 per 
cent profit. I am a foreigner myself, and have no desire to mislead. 
Some few might come coatless, and succeed- -such instances occur 
everywhere— but the mass of skilled or unskilled would be disap- 
pointed. Any one who is a successful farmer in the older countries 
and can bring with him enough to make a start here, will in ten years 
be glad he has made the change. He will find a climate in which a 
great variety of crops can be grown ; can work every day the year round if 



TENSAS PARISH. 225 



he wants, and enough schools and churches to keep his moral and 
mental even with his material prosperity. 

There are no public lands worth having near the railroad. Private 
lands in any desired quantity, improved or otherwise, at every distance 
from the railroad, can be purchased at from $1 to $20 per acre, im- 
proved places can be rented at one-fourth the crop, but as only good 
farming will pay, and good farming implies here the use of manure, 
it is bad management to rent and fertilize another's land when you can 
become the owner on very nearly as easy terms as you can rent. 

No effort to induce immigration has ever been made and yet few 
places in the State afford better advantages to the immigrant; any 
branch of farming can be adopted that he is most familiar with. The 
experienced farmer will know that a light, naturally drained soil, with 
a climate of 92° F. in summer and 29° in winter (extreme ranges) is 
adapted to nearly all crops, and the selection only determined by taste 
and facilities to market. New Orleans is the nearest market, distant 
sixty miles by rail from parish centre, The sending of small fruits 
and vegetables by rail to Northern cities in the spring, is a business 
now in its infancy. The raising of family cows for the New Orleans 
market can be done at a profit. That half of the parish east of the 
Tangipahoa Eiver is well adapted for sheep and many flocks are now 
there— this is the most profitable stock in this rolling country not 
thickly settled. When the river becomes navigable other industries 
can be introduced, but railroad tariffs where there is no competition 
compel these to seek other localities. 

To any one desiring special information, I will try and spare time to 
furnish it, and do what I can to help any industrious new comer— have 
no time to waste on any other. 



TENSAS PARISH. 

BY HON H. R. STEELE. 

This parish, known as the Banner Cotton Parish of the State, lies 
between 31° 50" and 32° 50" north latitude and 91° and 92° west longi- 
tude. Iti~ bounded north by Madison parish, east by the Mississippi 
Eiver, south by Concordia and west by Catahoula aDd Franklin par- 
ishes. It has about eighty miles fron,t on the Mississippi River, with 
uninterrupted navigation, whilst its. western boundary, through its 
entire course, is washed by the Tensas River, navigable for from four 
to six months in each year by small steamers, which ply through 
almost its entire length, thus facilitating the exchange of products 
and at the same time acting as a grand canal for drainage of all the 
lands within her borders. It comprises an area of over 400,000 acres of 
land, eight-tenths of which are susceptible of cultivation. With slight 
modification of her present boundary Tensas was erected into a parish 
in the year A. D. 1843, and is one of the sub-divisions of the parish of 
Concordia, which originally stretched from the Arkansas line on the 
north to the mouth of Red River on the south, with the Mississippi 
River for its eastern and the Red River and the Macon and Tensas 
Bayous for its southern and western boundaries. 

Taxation for the present year is twenty mills on the assessed, which 
is equal to about one per cent, on positive values. The soil is a rich 
and exhaustless alluvium, varying from the generous sandy loam of 
lake and bayou fronts to the glutinous "buckshot" of the palmetto 
and open swamp lands. Fortunate is the man who can claim his 
heritage here, for his estate is real and sticks as close as a brother. 
29 



226 LOUISIANA, 



Its surface is diversified bayous and lakes, which teem with fish and 
fowl, and which add largely to the products by reason of their drainage. 

Four large lakes, originally parts of our grand old river— like broken 
and disconnected links of a monster chain, lies along its eastern bor- 
der, with numerous smaller lakelets, which are scattered over the 
whole interior. These, together with the river fronts, are cleared to 
the average depth of 1\ miles through their whole extent, and are the 
favorite localities for the labor we now have. They are the garden 
spots; but the traveler may leave the river front, and following the 
streams which flow westward to the Tensas Biver, pass through almost 
continues fields for twenty-five miles, once thickly populated, now 
lying waste, though as fertile as any lands within her borders. 

The original forest is composed mainly of oak, gum, ash, black and 
honey locust, sassafras, pecan, hickory, persimmon, and various 
others, indicative of a generous soil. 

The products of the soil are various and abundant, but cotton is 
dominent. All others, though they can be produced in greatest pro- 
fusion, are comparatively neglected. Peas, peanuts, vegetables of all 
kinds, fruits and melons are wonderfully productive when properly 
cultivated. But now everything gives way to the cultivation of cotton. 
Even corn is at a discount, and the "staff of life" is secondary to "the 
staple." Hence the dependence of her people on the outside mar- 
kets. 

Previous to the war our lands then open were fully cultivated, and 

Y our capacity twenty years ago was equal to 100,000 bales of cotton. 

There was no demand for hay, corn or oats, and vegetables, or fruits, 

and only a partial demand for hog products. Now, for want of labor, 

two-fifths of all our open lands lie fallow. 

These lands are already open and ditched and require very little 
effort for their recovery. They invite the surplus labor of older com- 
munities, and may be had free of cost, for a term of years, and may 
be bought for from $2.50 to $10.00 per acre, accordfng to locality. 
Other lands are being - sold at judgment sale, the title guaranteed, in 
settlement of back taxes. Others still may be redeemed from the 
State, having reverted for non-payment of taxes, and except these, 
none are subject to entry. Two-fifths of her open lands are unvexed 
by the plow, and two-thirds of her entire area is unproductive for want 
of fixed and regular labor. Here is offered the finest field for the hum- 
ble tiller or the rich capitalist, or both. Her greatest need is a work- 
ing population, which inevitably compels capital. Again, prospec- 
tively, the capitalists will find a good investment, in the large bodies 
of available lands for surely, her present policy will compel their early 
occupation. 

The seemingly high rate of taxation is the result of a determined 
effort to secure the parish from the chance of overflow, and not to 
await the uncertain result of State or National aid, This result was 
reached before the war by parochial effort and it can be done again. 
It will be done again. Are the lands not worth as much now as then 
with the same protection? Are her people less intelligent now than 
then? Are they not practically the same? The sentiment of her tax- 
payers is strongly in this direction, and growing by "what it feeds 
on." It pays a heavier percentage than any other investment and her 
lands are her capital. 

Before the war the parish of Tensas, by agreement with the State, 
for certain immunities, took charge of her own levee system. Her 
lands enhanced in value progressively. In 1850 the best plantations 
could be purchased for $20 per acre ; in 1858 these lands were taxed 7 
per cent on a valuation of $40 per acre, and could not be purchased for 
§75 per acre. This was a tribute for protection. The tariff was high ; 
the levees were higher, because "more dirt;" but our lands were high- 



TENSAS PARISH. 227 



est of all. If a Tensas planter appeared on Carondelet street he was 
known and far more highly appreciated than now ; indeed, ranked in 
"sweetness" next to the most lordly of sugar planters. Let these levees 
go up again, and her planters will appreciate accordingly. Our lands 
are generally owned and occupied by an active and resident proprie- 
tary, whose presence and energy are causing them to blossom as the 
rose. We are not much cursed with absenteeism, which incubates and 
nourishes idleness and decay. The health of her people is exceptional, 
the census lately taken under government auspices showing the aver- 
age mortality to be about one in sixty. This result is wonderful, when 
the habits of the negro race are known. They constitute nearly four- 
fifths of her population, which is now about 18,000. Of these about 
2000 are white, of various nationalities, blacks and intermediate 
shades, about 16,000. Among the former we have the Anglo-Saxon and 
descendants, the German (Protestant and Jew), Scotch, Irish, Swiss 
and Swede ; of the latter, the Indian or North American, the Chinese, 
mulattoes, quadroons, octoroons and shining black negro— the nation's 
hopeful wards. The homogeneousness of these various peoples is 
characterized by the quietness and confidence which exist between 
them. 

For water supply wells driven, bored or dug are the common resort. 
This water, from its coolness, satisfies the want of the negro race, and 
for him seems to be as healthy as any other kind. To him the coldest 
is the best, believing as he does, that he will not ie until "his time 
comes." Experience shows that pure cistern or tank water is essential 
to the white man. The average temperature in winter is from 35° to 
40° and in summer from 80° to 85° Fahrenheit.- The solace for most ills 
suffered by our people is found in the cool and balmy night breeze, 
which comes to us every evening and induces early and pleasant 
sleep. It comes from the Mexican Gulf and mitigates and tempers the 
heat to such extent that sunstroke is almost unknown and makes com- 
paratively pleasant a climate otherwise insuppc rtaole. The long 
enervating summers, except for these periodical winds, would exhaust 
the strongest muscle. As it is, whites and blacks can and do labor all 
through the days and the years, when one-half the time diligently and 
intelligently applied insures a generous living fro T -;. her fruitful soil. 
So applied the results are: Old lands without manure, corn thirty bar- 
rels ; cotton, one bale per acre ; old lands with manure, corn forty-five 
barrels ; cotton, one and one-half bales per acre ; new lands with manu -e 
corn, fifty barrels ; cotton, two bales per acre. German millet gives the 
heaviest crops known in any climate. So with potatoes, sweet and 
Irish, peas and esculents of all kinds. These'results are modified by 
damages from overflow and worms when present. 

Our educational advantages, for the present, are very much crippled 
in consequence of defalcation of the treasurer of school funds. There 
are four or five white and from ten to fifteen colored schools whose 
teachers are paid by taxation, and sale of lands devoted to school 
purposes. Numerous church buildings, of a modest architecture, are 
scattered all over her borders and are largely attended by the colored 
population. There are very few churches owned by the whites, and 
these are so little frequented that the dust has long since been shaken 
from the shoes of the average minister. Practically, the civilization 
of the day in this locality ignores the claims of Chistianity. Our 
civic necessities cost the people $60,000 per annum; our devotional 
ways about $1000 per annum, if diligent! v sought! Almost a "free 
Gospel," almost "without money and without price." And yet her 
planters, merchants, jurists and physicians are noted for intellect and 
energy above the average communities. The proof is patent ; her 
buildings, roads, bridges and levees point and .'picture the first pur- 
pose of her people. 



228 LOUISIANA. 



The luxury of her people, particularly of the laboring class, black 
more than white, is phenominal. Who, in any other country, ever 
saw the masses of her laboring class owning, riding and driving, on 
horseback or on wheels? That class in this parish alone own property 
of assessed value amounting to $150,000. There is plenty room for 
more of the same sort. There is room for white, negro, Chinese, or 
any other determined labor, to fill up and cultivate 75,000 acres of open, 
ditched, but fallow lands, to say nothing of our timbered highlands. 

An experiment is being inaugurated in the centre of the parish, 
which, as yet, is only partially developed. Messrs. Baker & Blanche 
have lately purchased 7,000 acres of land, 2,000 of which have been 
long ago cleared, ditched and successfully cultivated. They say, "'we 
will offer, on and after the first day of January, 1881, 5,000 acres of 
land, 2,000 of which are open, under fence and enclosed by a levee suf- 
ficient to protect against high water. Said open lands are now sur- 
veyed and laid off in 40 acre farms, and will sell from 50 to 100 acres of 
woodland. Prices vary according to quality and location, say from 100 
to 500 pounds of lint cotton per acre, and the use of gin furnished at 
the customary rates. Each 40 acres will contain two houses 16x24 feet 
with 8 feet gallery, all built of good cypress timber, and sold with the 
land. Terms of payment on 40 acres of open land not less than five 
bales or 2,000 pounds annually for five years, after which time eight 
per cent interest will be charged on all unpaid balances." Numerous 
large tracts of just such lands are now on sale in all parts of the parish, 
together with many other small ones, and yet for want of co-operative 
efforts, the world knows not that such lands exist. Our parochial 
interests are being controlled by a far-reaching policy, intended to 
guard and protect it from water. Ante-bellum ideas again are working 
to insure this protection, and it is due to this action that Tensas alone 
of all the river parishes was this year comparatively free from over- 
flow. 

Close attention to the laws of health finds its remuneration here as 
in overy other climate, to the foreigner more than the native, but once 
acclimated, he enjoys comparative immunity from disease. Men, 
women and children do sometimes die, and the worms eat them, but our 
statistics speak well for the general health of our people. It is well 
known that diseases in our moist climate give way more readily to 
treatment than those of higher and dryer regions. 

Brickmasons, plasterers, house and gin builders all find remunera- 
tive work. The axeman, timberman and ditcher all find ready employ- 
ment. For regular field labor, wages usually paid are, to wit : Boys 
and girls, from $3 to $6 per month ; women, from $6 to $10 per month ; 
men, from $12 to $15 per month, together with the customary monthly 
rations of meal, pork, etc. 

Large numbers of timbermen are now needed all over the parish for 
making fencing material, boards, shingles, rails and fence building and 
general improvement. For rails $6 to $10 per 1000, boards and shingles 
$2 50 to $4 50. For rough mechanics, $30 to $60 per month. 

The lands (cultivated) rent from $4 to $10 per acre. When worked 
on shares the planter furnishes the land, stock and feed, implements 
and house room ; the laborer, his labor and food and clothing. Each 
furnishes his own bagging and ties, ginning free of cost. 

White immigrants, except as traders and dealers, are too scarce for 
the proper development of our capacities. For want of proper com- 
bination on the part of planters, very little has been done. 
It is a distinctive need of our people, and no time should be lost for 
want of co-operative effort. The unoccupied and sparsely settled por- 
tions of the parish are admirably adapted to stock-raising, with no 
drawbacks except that of overflow and the consequent change of pas- 
ture. Yearlings are worth $5, two years old $10, three years old $15 ; 



TERREBONNE PARISH. 229 



oxen, broken and unbroken, $20 to $25 ; cows from $15 to $30, ordinary 
grades. It is attended with no cost except salt and herding ; beyond 
that all is profit. It is not adapted to water power. It too often be- 
comes uncontrollable, and her people entertain a wholesome dread of 
that kind of agent. Steam is the power almost universally in use, 
only here and there a horse power, now and then a wind mill worthy 
of being seen, but don't have the rashness to' attack them ! 

Any industry, such as bee raising, poultry, dairy products, black- 
smithing, wagon making and mending, saw milling, etc., intelligently 
and assiduously conducted, may be made profitable. The sportsman 
will find in our lakes and bayous the trout, the bass, the perch tribe, 
the buffalo or carp, the catfish, soft and hard-shell turtles, gar and 
alligators in "multiplied thousands." These lakes and bayous and 
tracts of marsh lands are also the resort in their proper season of every 
variety of ducks, geese, water tui ley, etc. The forests abound with 
squirrels, hares, the opossum, raccoons, wild turkey, the deer, the 
bear, wildcat, panthers and smaller fry, such as hawks, buzzards and 
skunks.' The partridge is becoming more abundant as overflows dis- 
appear. Our exports find a market in New Orleans within forty hours ; 
freight per bale of cotton seventy-five cents to one dollar. 

To the working-man, without regard to politics, race or previous 
condition, Tensas says, Come! If so minded, "Come as the waves 
come." She will take you in her ample bosom, extend to you what- 
ever of kindness and consideration you may desire. To the "bloated 
bond-holder" she says come, it will be a relief to both to have some of 
his "stuffing" withdrawn, to be bpread over her lands. 

When the war began Tensas ran up her flag, upon whose folds ap- 
peared these two words, "TrvUs." She was "tried," and though 
found somewhat "wanting," learned on that hard-fought battle-field 
one wholesome lesson, " Go home and build up your waste places. " 
Since that time she has made wonderful strides towards rehabitation. 
Now, again, she runs up to her mast-head a more peaceful banner, but 
with the same advice, "Try us," and all her people say, " Her home 
shall be thy home, and she will do thee good all the davs of thy life." 
Come! "Try us!! 

TERREBONNE PARISH. 

NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT. 

The parish of Terrebone is the most southerly in the State, extending 
along the Gulf of Mexico from Timbalier Bay on the east to Atchafa- 
laya Bay on the west, a distance of over seventy miles. It has for its 
northern and eastern boundaries the parish of Lafourche and a portion 
of Assumption, while on the west it is bounded by the parish of St. 
Mary and the Atchafalaya Bay and river. The parish covers an area of 
abo ut 1 ,584 square miles and was originally settled by Acadian s about the 
year 1765. A large portion of the land lying along the Gulf is sea marsh, 
and, therefore, not available for agricultural purposes unless properly 
drained. In the northern portion of the parish, however, will be found 
a very superior quality of alluvial soil, which is wonderful in its pro- 
ductive capacities and is extensively cultivated. In this section, say in 
the vicinity of the town of Houma, the surface of the earth is about 
eleven feet above tide- water, and by means of numerous bayous is 
readily drained. The parish was organized in 1822, and at the present 
time has a population of near 25,000. It is clear from debt and has a 
surplus jf funds on hand. The last assessment was for $2,000,000, upon 
which a tax of 17 mills, for the State, parish and levees was levied. 

Climate and Health.— {See Plaquemines parish). 

Quality of the Soil.— {See Plaquemines parish). 



230 LOUISIANA. 



Timber.— At the present time an abundance of timber exists in the 
parish except in the immediate vicinity of some of the largest sugar 
plantations, where the supply has been in some degree exhausted. 
This timber is found in the greatest abundance along the bayous and 
in the swamps, and consists of several kinds of oak, cypress, ash, elm, 
gum, magnolia, pecan, china, willow, persimmon and a large variety 
of small trees and shrubs, Cypress is commonly used for fencing, 
although some effort has been made to introduce the barbed wire, 
which is objected to by stock owners on account of the injury such 
fencing is liable to inflict upon animals coming in contact with it. 
There are several saw mills in operation in various parts of the parish 
that supply the local demand for lumber ; but no shipments are made 
of timber or sawed lumber to points abroad. 

Water.— The parish is intersected by numerous bayous and filled with 
lakes, which would lead persons to conclude that it is, throughout its 
entire extent, a low, wet, swampy region. They imagine its surface to 
be a great plain of wonderful fertility, where at all arable, with an in- 
definite succession of dense jungles, tangled swamps, marshes, lakes, 
sloughs, cane and cypress brakes. These misconceptions will, how- 
ever, be speedily dissipated by a journey into the interior. In fact, no 
more beautiful sites can be found for summer resorts, for rural homes, 
or even for manufacturing purposes, than some of the lakes of Louis- 
iana, while the bayous, affording excellent drainage, render the lands 
in their vicinity susceptible of profitable cultivation in most instances. 
Among the most prominent of the water courses in the parish are the 
Bayous Terrebonne, Little Caillou, Grand Oaillou, Black, Du Large, 
Chacahoula, L'eau Bleue, Point au Chien, Cateau, Chene, La Cache, 
Sale, Four Points and La Cire. The principal lakes are Quitman, Feli- 
city, Caillou, AVasha, Du Cadre, Long, Chien and Billiot. Bayous 
Terrebonne, Black and Little and Grand Caillou are partly navigable 
at this time and the authorities of Terrebonne have undertaken to open 
the principal bayous so that steamers will have tide water navigation 
to Houma, the year round. The South Louisiana Canal and Naviga- 
tion Company will also open steam navigation between Houma and 
New Orleans, having already commenced cutting a canal from the 
Bayou Lafourche to the Bayou Terrebonne, some twenty-five miles 
below Houma, which it is expected will be completed about the first of 
November next. Cistern water is generally used in the parish for 
drinking and domestic purposes. 

Field Crops and their yield.— (See Plaquemines parish). 

Prices of Lands.— Although there are some lands in the parish sub- 
ject to entry under the homestead laws or subject to purchase from the 
State, they are not of a desirable character for immigrants, being 
classed as "swamp" or "coast marsh," and therefore requiring expen- 
sive drainage before they could be brought into cultivation. There 
may, however, always be found land of a desirable character in the 
hands of private owners which can be purchased, although it has in- 
creased in value during the last few years, and is likely to increase 
with the public and private improvements now in progress and con- 
templated. Unimproved land may be said to range in value from $5 
to $20 per acre, while the price of improved land is governed entirely 
by the quality and quanity of improvements, location, etc. Some of 
the planters of Terrebonne are becoming deeply iuterested in the new 
system of labor. All of their plans lean towards a central sugar-house 
system, the planter to be the manufacturer and the tenants to make 
the cane and deliver it at the mill— a group of small farmers and a 
central factory. The plan of dividing large bodies of land into small 
tracts has also been tested with marked success, it being clearly de- 
monstrated that by this means better prices can be realized than by 
selling in a single body, while at the same time it gives encouragement 



TEBEEBONNE PARISH. 231 



to a valuable class of the population in securing homes, and who are 
always able to supply reliable labor. 

Churches and Schools.— The prevailing religion in this as well as in 
the adjacent parishes is Roman Catholic, while most of the Protestant 
denominations have organizations in the towns and large settlements. 
Nearly all of these religious denominations are supplied with suitable 
church buildings. The free school system is well organized through- 
out the parish, there being twenty- four in operation, with a few excel- 
lent private schools in certain neighborhoods. When open the free 
schools are largely attended. 

Labor and Wages.— The labor employed by the planters is principally 
colored, but small crops of sugar cane are admirably adapted to white 
labor. The cane may be planted in the fall, winter or spring, and laid 
by before the first of July, and then no labor is required in the crop 
till the first of November, when the matured cane is ready for the mill. 
Small sugar farms, where from twenty to one hundred hogsheads of 
sugar are made by white labor, are very profitable, and even on the 
largest plantations there is no good reason why white men cannot be 
employed to as much advantage as blacks. The wages paid to field 
hands on the sugar plantations range from fifty to seventy-five cents 
per day with rations. At present there is very little land to lease on 
the share system, although it appears to have given fair satisfaction 
whenever tried, and may in time be generally adopted. 

Cities and Towns.— Houma, the seat of justice of Terrebonne parish* 
is a town with something over one thousand inhabitants, and is one of 
the most pleasant places of residence in Southern Louisiana. It is 
handsomely laid off, and the streets are supplied with suitable drain- 
age and sidewalks. Many of the private residences in the place are 
surrounded by orange groves, which at certain seasons of the year 
afford delightful protection from the rays of the sun, and yield an 
abundance of delicious fruit for home consumption. These rural resi- 
dences are constructed so as to meet the requirements of the climate, 
and some of. them are of handsome design. The town is well supplied 
with stores and shops, there being fifteen or twenty dry goods and gro- 
cery establishments, three drug stores, three cooper shops, two watch- 
makers, one gunsmith, four carpenters and builders, two blacksmiths, 
one carriage and harness maker, and two tailors. It can also boast of 
six churches, four schools, three doctors, four lawyers, three hotels or 
boarding houses, a masonic lodge, a handsome court house and sub- 
stantial jail, two temperance societies, and several barrooms. It has 
two excellent weekly newspapers, the houma Courier and Terrebonne 
Chronicle, is out of debt, and has prospects for improvement ahead. 

Tigerville is a prosperous little town, with a population of about two 
hundred, and is located on the main line of Morgan's Louisiana and 
Texas Railway, twenty-five miles from Houma. 

Houma is connected with the main line of the Morgan Railway by a 
branch from Terrebonne station, some fifteen miles distant. The 
branch road makes close connection with all passenger trains on the 
main line, and is operated with the skill and promptness which distin- 
guish the Morgan corporation. 

Market Facilities— New Orleans, fifty-five miles distant by rail from 
Terrebonne station, is the market for the products of the parish. For 
heavy freights the railway is employed, but the luggers ply in the 
bayous. The soil is adapted to all garden vegetables and al] semi- 
tropical fruits. The whites and blacks are on good terms with each 
other, and the citizens generally are hospitably disposed toward immi- 
grants. 



232 LOUISIANA. 



UNION PARISH. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population : 13,526 ; white 8014, colored 5512. 

Area : 910 square miles. Woodland, all. Oak uplands, 840 square 
miles (one-fifth red and "mulatto" lands) ; alluvial land (Washita), 70 
.square miles. 

Tilled land : 62,661 acres. Area planted in cotton, 28,308 acres ; in 
corn, 25,551 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 229 acres ; in sugar cane, 60 acres. 

Cotton production : 11,692 bales ; average cotton product per acre, 
0.41 bale, 588 pound? seed cotton, or 196 pounds cotton lint. 

Union parish resembles generally that of Ciaiborne, though on the 
whole there is perhaps more poor or uncultivatable land. 

The country between the forks of the D'Arbonne consists of high, 
level, dividing ridges, broken only near the streams, as in Claiborne, 
the soils also being similar. The best farming districts lie on the 
smaller tributaries. 

The northwestern part, between the D'Arbonne waters and Bayou 
L'Outre, is more hilly ; much of the hills, however, being of the red- 
lands chai'acter. Farmersville is on a red-land ridge, and the road 
thence to Sperrysville leads over a continual succession of hills and val- 
leys, with much ironstone, underlaid by pebbly beds. The region is 
pretty well settled with small but thriving farms. 

The northeastern portion is rather billy, and the soil largely red, 
but rather sandy and thin ; the region more thinly settled. A small 
area of the Washita bottom is here included within the parish. 

Southeast of Farmersville, toward Trenton, in Ouachita parish, there 
is, for five miles, a broken, hilly country, too broken for cultivation ; 
thence southward the country is more level and a better farming region. 

The forest growth, in uplands as well as in bottoms, is the same as in 
Jackson and Claiborne parishes. 

ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT OF J E. TRIMBLE, FARMERSVILLE. 

The uplands are hiliy or rolling, and there is a little prairie. There 
are two chief varieties of upland . soil, viz : sandy loam and red stiff 
land. The former comprehends fully three-fourths of the lands in the 
parish. Its timber growth is short. leaf pine, oak, hickory, dogwood 
in the uplands; sweetgum, bay, mulberry, ash, etc., in the lowlands. 
The soil, to the depth of ten to twelve inches, is fine, sandy clay loam, 
of a yellow, brown or mahogany tint. The subsoil is heavier, and fre- 
quently contains small, dull red, angular sandstone gravel and rocks. 
The soil tills easily at all times, and is warm and early. The crops grown 
are corn, cotton, sweet potatoes, peas, small grain, sugar cane, tobac- 
co ; the two last, with cotton, seem to be the best adapted to the soil. 
Cotton forms about one-half of the crops planted; usual height of 
stalk, 4 feet. In rainy seasons and on fresh land it sometimes run s to 
weed ; this is remedied by topping. The seed cotton product on fresh 
land is 1,000 to 1,500 pounds per acre, of which about 1,350 are needed for 
a 450-pound bale. The lint, when clean, rates in market as middling 
to fair middling. After five years' cultivation the product is 500 to 800 
pounds, about 1,460 being then needed for a 450-pound bale; the staple 
is shorter, and not so strong; will class as good ordinary or low mid- 
dling. The most troublesome weeds are rag-weed, cocklebur, hog- 
weed and butter : weed. 

About 10 per cent, ot this upland is turned out for want of labor ; 
ers when again taken up it will yield from 750 to 1000 pounds of seed- 
cotton per acre. The soil washes or gullies readily on slopes, but the 



VERMILION PARISH. 238 



injury done is not generally serious ; the valleys are benefited by the 
washings. Horizontal izing has been practiced with good effect. 

The red or "mulatto" lands occur most frequently in the southwest- 
ern part of the parish, but more or less in all, forming about one-fifth 
of the land. Timber; short-leaf pine, oaks, gum, mulberry, hickory, 
sumach. It is mostly a gravelly clay loam, very sticky, of a brown or 
mahogany tint. The subsoil is red clay, containing flinty, white, 
rounded gravel, underlaid by gravel or rock at 3 to 10 f et. It tills 
easily in dry seasons, and with difficulty when wet; is rather cold, and 
late in spring. It is apparently best adapted tc corn and grain ; about 
half is planted in cotton ; the stalk is about four feet high ; the seed- 
cotton product, 800 to 1200 pounds; rates as middling in market; no 
material difference after five years' cultivation. The same weeds pre^ 
vail as on the other soil. None of this land lies turned out; it washes 
readily on slopes, with serious damage ; the lowlands are not injured 
thereby. 

In the lowlands, on the streams and bayous, the natural growth is 
oak, hickory and swamp pine. The soil is black clay loam, several 
feet in depth ; subsoil lighter than surface. About two-thirds of the 
crops on these lands are cotton. The seed-cotton product on fresh land 
is from 2000 to 3000 pounds, the stalk attaining a height of 6 to 8 feet ; 
the staple rates as good middling. No change in quantity or quality 
of product has as yet been noticed after years of cultivation. 

Cotton is shipped during the fall by "rail and steamboat to New Or- 
leans ; rates of freight per bale vary from 75 cents to $3. 



VERMILION PARISH. 

BY HON. FRANK R. KING. 

Vermilion parish is situated on the Gulf coast in the southwestern 
portion of Louisiana, between parallels 29° and 30° north latitude, and 
about 126 miles due west from the city of New Orleans. 

It covers an area of about 800 square miles, and in the general 
topography is open prairie and sea marsh. There are belts of forests 
lining the banks of the bayous and streams, and along the sea marsh 
there are spots of woodland on the slightly elevated points. The coast 
marsh lies in the southern portion of the parish, and extends north 
from the water line of the Gulf of Mexico to a depth varying from ten 
to twenty miles. The marsh is low, wet and devoid of any vegetation 
except grass, and generally is impassable. To the north of the marsh 
stretch out gently undulating prairies, dotted over with small lakes or 
ponds, and traversed in different directions by running streams of pure 
fresh water. Small clusters of planted shade trees, interspersed over 
the face of the prairie, indicate the humble abodes of the inhabitants, 
and groves of forest trees following the water courses interrupt the 
view at intervals. 

Population.— YermWion parish has increased in population about 80 
per cent, during the last decade. The census of 1880 gives the parish 
8857 souls, about one-half of which comprise the French Creoles ; there 
are in the parish about 1500 negroes, and the remainder of the inhabi- 
tants are Americans or descendants of families from the States. The 
dominant language is French, but English is becoming more generally 
spoken every year. The creole half of the population are descendants 
of the French Acadians, who, driven from Nova Scotia more than a 
century ago, found an asylum from persecution in this beautiful "Eden 
of. Louisiana." The story of their woe and a veracious description of 
the land of their exile is immortalized by Longfellow in his 'Tale of 



234 LOUISIANA. 



Acadie." The French cf the uneducated is a patois that would fall on 
the Parisian ear as almost the sound of a foreign dialect; these 
Acadians, or as in common colloquial parlance they are termed 'Cajuns, 
are generally illiterate, and as a race non-progressive and unenter- 
prising. Though of America they refuse to become Americanized in 
habits and ideas— a primitive, pastoral people, who cling with peculiar 
pertinacity to the ways and religion of their forefathers, and are sus- 
picious of educated Americans and of all innovations. They are kind 
and polite, and even the lowest class have a manner singularly suave 
and gentle. The men are fine specimens of manhood, of splendid 
physique and graceful in action ; the females are pretty usually, with 
expressive faces and gentle, vivacious movements. They are a merry 
race, extremely fond of dancing and constantly indulging in social 
reunions among themselves. Their neighborhood balls are perpetual 
institutions, and the grace and beauty seen at one of them would 
astonish the fashionable belle or beau who wots not that these charms 
ate found outside their own "set" and particular circle. 

The Koman Catholic religion is universal among the Creoles, and 
farming and stock raising is their exclusive mode of making a liveli- 
hood. The American portion of the population are mostly intelligent 
planters or farmers from the Southern States, and are hospitable and 
industrious. They are nearly all Protestant in religion. The popula- 
tion as a whole are exceptionally peaceful, industrious and law-abid- 
ing. They reside in small, unostentatious frame houses, one style of 
architecture being almost universal in that region, and as a rule have 
an abundance of the necessaries, not to say the good things of life, 
and are generally content, happy and well-to-do. 

The Climate. — The climate is semi-tropical, tempered by the cool, re- 
freshing breezes that sweep with unobstructed sway across the prairies 
from the salty gulf. Tires are needed indoors for comfort during the 
greater part of the winter season, while the heat of the summer is 
never so intense as to interfere with field labor. The natural humidity 
of the atmosphere prevents sunstroke and relieves the heat, of its 
oppression. Emigrants from northern latitudes labor at all outdoor pur- 
suits., and toil in the sun with prefect impunity, and enjoy excellent 
health. Kefreshing showers fall throughout the summer season and 
floating clouds keep an ever varying shade over the face of the coun- 
try . The mean temperature is about 60° Fahrenheit in winter and 
about 80° in summer. The warm weather begins about the middle of 
May and ends about the middle of October. Spring and autumn are 
most delightful seasons in this parish. 

Tlie Sou.— Is sandy alluvion, and throughout the eastern half of 
Vermilion is rich and highly productive. When once broken up by 
sub-soiling, it is easily cultivated, by the native Creole ponies, that 
are raised on the prairies, and subsist winter and summer upon no 
other food than the indigenous grasses of the country. In the western 
part of the parish the soil becomes of a light, sandy character, not so 
fertile, but sufficiently productive to intelligent farmers, and affording 
fine pasturage. There are some small islands lying in the sea marsh, 
these "islands" are elevated spots of land surrounded by sea marsh. 
They are covered with forests and dense undergrowth and are remark- 
ably fertile, but almost inaccessible. The natural undulations of the 
prairie lands afford sufficient drainage so that ditching is seldom 
necessary. 

Rivers and Lakes.— The Vermilion Eiver rises in the parish of St. 
Landry about ninety miles from its mouth, runs south through the 
parishes of Lafayette and Vermilion, and empties into Vermilion Bay. 
It derives its sources from numerous natural springs of pure, fresh 
water, which flow from its banks and tributaries, and runs south in a 
clear, rapid current. The water is excellent for both drinking and 



VERMILION PARISH. 285 



washing purposes. The banks of the river are high and picturesque, 
and never subject to overflow until they reach the sea marsh a few 
miles above its mouth. It is navigable all the year for steamboats 
from its outlet to its intersection with Morgan's Louisiana and Texas 
Railroad, near the town of Vermilionville in the parish of Lafayette, 
thus affording cheap and easy transportation to the people of Vermil- 
ion parish, either by rail or water to the city of New Orleans and Texas. 
Down to the sea marsh this beautiful stream is skirted on both sides 
with a fine growth of timber, consisting of magnolia, ash, oak, gum, 
hickory, pecan, sycamore and other trees, and studded with well tilled 
and improved farms and plantations. The Vermilion River is affected 
by the ebb and flow of the Gulf tide for a distance of about forty-five 
miles. To this point it is navigable at all times for large schooners and 
other water craft which ply along the Gulf const. 

The parish is bounded on the west by the Mermentau River, a large 
fresh water stream running north and navigable for steamboats and 
schooners to its intersection with the Texas railroad. At one point the 
Mermentau expands into a broad sheet called Lake Arthur, a lovely 
spot and famous for its orange groves. 

The Bayou Queue Tortue is on the northern boundary line, dividing 
Vermilion from the parish of St. Landry, it is a dull, sluggish stream 
affording little water, and running southwest empties into the Mer-, 
mentau River. On the bank of this bayou are some fine cypress 
swamps, furnishing lumber for building purposes and pieux for 
fencing. 

On the eastern boundary of Vermilion, partly dividing it from the 
parish of Iberia, is an inland lake, about twelve miles in circumfer- 
ence, commonly known in the country as Lake Simonette, but desig- 
nated on the maps as Lake Peigneur. On Orange Island, on the south- 
ern shore of this lake, is the Southern residence of Mr. Joseph Jeffer- 
son, the inimitable comedian of "Rip Van Winkle" fame, Searching 
the world over, the genius of the noted actor could not have selected 
a lovlier spot in which to seek repose from the glare of the foot-lights 
and rest from the labors of his distinguished histrionic career. Here 
Mr. Jefferson has recently built a handsome residence, and expends 
large sums in experimental farming and in the introduction of fine 
blooded stock. One of the experiments of the actor, is a new fence— a 
hedge of the Chickasaw rose— for several miles surrounding his lands; 
a fence that appeals at once to the eye of the artist and also to the 
utilitarian in a region where timber is scarce. This resort of the actor 
is a gem on Nature's bosom, and its many attractions are destined to 
make it a favorite resort of persons who seek quiet homes in the 
midst of pretty scenery, good boating, the perfume of orange and 
masnolia groves, pure sea-breeze and balmy clime, where they can 
enjoy the best of piscatorial and field sports. 

White Lake, in Vermilion, remains an almost terra incognita to even 
the inhabitants of the parish, so difficult of access, lying in the midst 
of a wilderness of sea marsh, that but a few adventurous spirits have 
dared to wander on its mystic shores. White Lake is so named from 
the snow-like sand at the bottom, gleaming through its transparent 
waters. It is quite a large body of fresh water, fifteen miles long and 
ten miles wide. At one time it undoubtedly had a deep, secret outlet 
to the open gulf, and in the days of yore it was a favorite haunt of 
pirates, its gloomy isolation peculiarly adapting it to the concealment 
of lawless plunder, and it would be difficult for the imagination to con- 
jure up a spot more fit for "treason, stratagems and spoils." Through 
the clear waters are still to be seen, embedded at the bottom of the 
lake, the wrecks of vessels supposed to have been once afloat on its 
bosom, bearing the treasures of the famous Lafitte and his piratical 
crew, for so many years the terror of the gulf. Tradition has it that 



23$ LOUTSTANA. 



fabulous wealth is buried here, but all efforts of daring explorers have 
so far failed to discover treasures hidden by the banditti. To go still 
further back into the traditional history of White Lake : There is a 
vast shell mound on the northern shore of the lake, containing relics 
of interest to the antiquarian. Traces of brick foundations and human 
bones are also found here, said to be the remains of the Attakapas In- 
dians, who found here a safe retreat when driven by attacks from more 
ferocious tribes. At present this isolated spot is the retreat of every 
kind of game and wild animal, Providence wisely ordaining this unin- 
habitable abode a safe asylum for them where the exterminating rifle 
of the huntsman rarely breaks the silence, and human presence sel- 
dom disturbs its solitude. 

Productions.— All the staple products of Louisiana, cotton, corn, 
sugar, rice and tobacco, do well in Vermilion parish. Cotton gives a 
greater yield in the northern portion of the parish ; sugar does best 
along the rivers and bayous, while the low, flat lands throughout the 
prairie make tine rice fields. There is a vast area of untitled soil in 
this parish that could be easily utilized for the culture of rice. In 
favorable years cotton yields per acre from three-quarters to a bale, 
sugar from two to three hogsheads, rice from fifteen to twenty barrels, 
and corn from twenty-five to thirty bushels per acre. A good deal of 
tobacco is made for home consumption. Owing to the general atten- 
tion heretofore given to stock-raising, very little impetus was given to 
agriculture until the past few years. There are now some fine sugar 
plantations on the Vermilion Eiver, below Abbeville, and a few in 
other portions of the parish. 

Iruit— Oranges of a more delicious flavor than those from Cuba or 
Florida grow to perfection and yield abundantly in this parish ; figs 
also do well. These branches of industry few have embraced exclu- 
sively up to this date, but almost every farm has its orchard of fruit 
trees. Other fruits, such as peaches, apricots, pears, apples, grapes, 
quinces, Japan plums and melons grow well in Vermilion. Strawber- 
ries do well here, and the common blackberry flourishes wherever al- 
lowed to spring up. The pecan tree, when planted, grows to unbra- 
geous dimensions, and yields barrels of fine nuts that always com- 
mand a good price in the New Orleans market. 

Vegetables— All vegetables and esculents common to the Southern 
latitude of Louisiana flourish nowhere better than in Vermilion. The 
sandy character of the soil renders it peculiarly adapted to the growth 
of yams, Irish potatoes, peanuts and vegetables generally. t Owing to 
the mildness of the climate, many vegetables can be raised through- 
out the winter. 

Game and Fish.— Vermilion is the paradise of the sportsman, and a 

Srofitable field for the pot hunter who would ship his game to the 
ew Orleans market. Game and fish of boundless variety can be 
found at different seasons throughout the country. The extensive sea 
marsh, embracing the southern area of the Parish, and in fact the en- 
tire Gulf coast of Louisiana, is the grand rendezvous of all the ducks, 
wild geese, brant, snipes, woodcocks, and other wild fowls that an- 
nually migrate from the north southward. These birds begin to 
appear the latter part of September and remain all winter, feeding 
upon the swamps, prairies and sea marsh of Louisiana, and begin their 
migration northward the latter part of spring. From an elevated point 
in the sea marsh the writer has looked as far as his vision would take 
in, and seen myriads of wild geese, brant and ducks feeling upon the 
prairie. It is customary in the early fall for stock raisers to burn off 
the tall grass and the tender shoots that soon spring up furnish delec- 
table food for these wild fowls. The rice fields are also a favorite feed- 
ing ground for all species of birds. In the spring and summer when 
the northern feathered tribe have made their exodus, migratory birds 



VERMILION PA RISK 23 7 



from the tropical regions take their place. That favorite of the epi- 
cures, the famous papabot, the ortolan, paroquets and several species 
of the plover, now put in an appearance and are slaughtered by the 
thousands. The papa bot is about the size of a spring chicken feeds 
upon the open prairie, and they are easily approached on hors'eback 
or in a buggy, the usual mode of bunting them. In July and August 
they grow very fat by feeding upon Spanish flies, which impart to 
them a peculiar flavor, greatly relished by the gourmands of the 
country. 

The country abounds in a variety of native game fowls, which never 
migrate. Among these are the wood and black duck-distinct species— 
the prairie chicken, common to the Northwest, quails, marsh hens and 
grosbeck. There are now laws in Louisiana for the protection of 
native game during certain months, which laws are generally observed 
and enforced. 

To the Vermilion Bay and Gulf to the south of the parish are found 
oysters and every variety of salt water fish common to the New Or- 
leans market. The Iz'aac Waltons find abundant piscatorial spoils in 
the lakes, ponds and bayous, as these abound in fine fresh water fish 
such as trout, perch, cat, buffalo, casburgo, bream and bar. 

Poultry— The indigenous grasses, insects and seeds furnish poultry 
with an abundance of healthy, nourishing food, and fowls thrive and 
multiply in a remarkable degree. Poultry raising is carried on exten- 
sively, and the good housewives and farmers of Vermilion pocket thou- 
sands of dollars annually from the sale of poultry and eggs for the 
New Orleans market. 

Stock Raising.— The mild climate and perennial growth of the 
grasses, which are green aud tender at all seasons, render Vermilion 
parish one of the most highly-favored countries in the world for stock- 
raising. The extensive prairies and sea-marsh of this parish furnish 
an abundance of pasturage for thousands of cattle, horses and sheep 
Stock-raising has always been the principal business in Vermilion 
parish, and many handsome fortunes have been realized from the 
profitable pursuit. Cattle and horses require no shelter, and keep fat 
winter and summer upon no other food than the native grasses 
New Orleans and the Mississippi Kiver parishes always afford a ready 
market at good prices. Very little attention so far has been given in 
this parish to the introduction of the finer breeds of cattle. 

Towns.— Abbeville, the parish seat of justice, is the only town of any 
importance in the parish. It is situated on the Vermilion Bayou 35 
miles from its month, and has a mixed population of about 800 souls 
There are good schools and Protestant and Eoman Catholic churches 
in the town. The place is incorporated and is quiet and orderly Ab- 
beville can be reached by steamboat from New Orleans, or by the 
Texas Railroad, connecting with steam packets at the Bayou' Ver- 
milion Station. Abbeville has now a considerable local trade, and is 
steadily improving with the gradual development of the parish. When 
the fertile banks of the surrounding countrv are settled with an enter- 
prising population, which will be at no distant day, Abbeville is des- 
tined to become an inland city of some importance. It offers a good 
field to those who wish to engage in professional, mechanical or mer- 
cantile pursuits. Skilled mechanics and caruenters are yery scarce 
in Vermilion, and a number of such could find work— profitable em- 
ployment there now. 

Health.— There is no healthier eountry in the world than Vermilion 
parish. In this salubrious clime people generally live to a green old 
age, and there are many cases on record of remarkable longevity, Ac- 



288 LOUISIANA. 



cording to the census statistics, the rate of mortality in this parish is 
smaller than anywhere else in the United States. 

General Remarks.— Good drinking water can be had anywhere in 
Vermilion parish by sinking wells twenty or thirty feet. This region 
is not subject to long, protracted drouths. Eain in abundance falls 
throughout the seasons. It is usually dry in the autumn, when the 
farmers are gathering their crops. Wind storms sometimes occur, but 
never assume the violence of a tornado. 

The price of day labor is from $1 to $1 50. The latter wages are 
readily paid during the sugar-making season. The farm s are generally 
small, and usually cultivated by the owners and their families. Negro 
laborers are mostly employed on the large plantations. 

The price of land depends much on the locality and value of im- 
provements. Those along the Vermilion river best adapted to sugar 
culture command from ten to twenty dollars per acre. There is a vast 
region of good prairie country, however, convenient to navigation, 
where lands can be bought from one to two dollars per acre. Owing 
to the mildness of the climate, very little fuel is required. There is no 
part of the timber so remote from fuel that wood cannot be obtained 
by hauling a few miles. It requires but a few years to raise a forest 
by planting out young trees. 

There is no country on the globe which all the year round furnishes 
so many table luxuries— vegetable, animal and fish— as this highly 
favored region. With a small farm, a few head of cattle, a gun and 
fishing rod. one man can easily provide for a large family. It is a 
mystery how Eastern and European emigrants can overlook such a 
fine country and in preference settle upon the bleak prairie deserts of 
Western Kansas and Nebraska. Southwestern Louisiana is a para- 
dise in comparison. If those seeking new homes in America would 
only lay aside their prejudice and cease to listen to the partisan abuse 
and misrepresentation of the South by a certain class or political 
scribblers and speakers in the North, they would find a country in 
Vermilion parish of surpassing beauty and fertility, a good govern- 
ment and a kind-hearted people ready to welcome them. 



VERNON PARISH. 

BY A CITIZEN. 

The parish of Vernon is bounded on the east by Rapides parish, on 
the north by Natchitoches and Sabine parishes, on the west by the 
Sabine River and on the south by Calcasieu parish. 

The ninety-third meridian of longitude west from Greenwich passes 
through the parish. In extent it is about forty-four miles east and 
west and thirty-two miles north and south, its outlines being to some 
extent irregular, and area about 885,000 acre3. It was named "Vernon" 
in memory of the home of George Washington. The parish site is 
situated on section 23, T. 2 N., R. 9 W., and named Leesville. The 

Sarish was created by the Legislature in 1871 from Rapides, Sabine and 
Tatchitoches parishes, and its present rate of taxation is 8J mills on 
the dollar. The parish is mostly an upland country, though a good 
deal of lowland and cypress brakes are near the Sabine River. There are 
some prairie lands a few miles northwest, north and south of Leesville 
which are very productive. The large Anacoco creek passes entirely 
through the western part of the parish and affords a good deal of fine 
lands, besides some State lands well timbered. Numerous creeks run 
through that portion of the parish emptying into the Anacoco. and a 
a large nnmber pass through the eastern portion, which empty into 



WASHINGTON PARISH. 239 



the Calcasieu River. The lands are well adapted to cotton, corn pota- 
toes, rice, sugar cane and various olher articles. The total population 
is about 5000, mostly whites. 

The farmers tire doing well and have settled n? ar the prairie lands 
and along the creeks and rivers where they have access to swamp and' 
pine lands, though in many instances they have settled in the pine 
woods where they cultivate excellent pine lands and raise stock The 
surface of the parish is in general rolling and in parts hilly, and the 
yellow pine grows in abundance. 

The swamp lands are of two grades— a low stiff bottom land and a 
high sandy swamp land and all well timbered with oak, gum hickorv 
magnolia, ash and various other growths, The immense range for 
stock and pure water in abundance make it all one could desire who 
seeks to combine farming and stock raising. 

The pine and cypress timber have attracted a good deal of attention 
and a lively business is now going on (especially in pine) running loss 
down the Anacoco creek and Sabine Eiver for the Orange timber mar- 
ket at quite remunerative prices. This trade is fast increasing 

Private lands are almost without a price, there being so much vacant 
public land well adapted to farming upon which immigrants can set- 
tle without money or price, free from all fear of being disturbed for 
since the hrst settling of this country, there are but three or four cases 
where the claims, rights and interest of such settlers have been 
infringed upon by other parties entering the land 

The character of the people is law abiding and hospitable, but few 
cases ever occur of a grave criminal nature. As proof of this the 
Police Jury of the parish levied a tax of only $650 to defray the entire 
criminal expenses of the parish for the year 1880, deeming it ample 
for that purpose. yo 

Agriculture, cutting and running timber to market, and raising stock 
are the chief employments of the people, and as a general thing thev 
are easy and prosperous. s ' 

The health of the parish is extremely good 
«f^£ he ,ff eek f.2 fford A fl l h in abun dance. Deer and turkeys are plen- 
££\J n £ 1 y° cahties - A fl °e <*>rn crop has been made this year, which 
can be had on reasonable terms, and the citizens of the parish are pre- 
pared to welcome all who come to look up homes. pe 



WASHINGTON PARISH. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population ; 5190 ; white 3475, colored 1715 

^ a i ? 68 f<l uare miles - Woodland, all. Long-leaf pine hills all 

Tilled lands; 18,224 acres. Area planted in cotton 6371 acres- in 
corn, 7974 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 480 acres ; in sugar' cane flfl i «nrpf 

Cotton production : 2338 bales ; average cotton product p?r'acre 37 
bale 522 pounds seed cotton, or 174 pounds cotton lint P ' ' 

Ihe parish of Washington consists almost altogether of undulating 

S m w322? r °™ ng ' Pme ! WOO i S ' J Ik ? th0se of nort »ern Tangipahoa and* 
St. Helena. The open long-leaf pine forest covers all but the bottoms 

and narrow first terraces or ''hummocks" of the streams. Of theS 

the BogueChitto, traversing the middle of the parish, is the principal 

one. Cultivation is restricted to the lands along the Watercourses the 

pine lands being naturally unproductive, although, as in TaSahoa 

quite susceptible of culture by the aid of 'fertilizers. Stock-raifiS and 

lumbering are prominent among tin industries of the inhabitants 

and sheep would be especially profitable but for the depredations of 

dog». The turpentine industry, also, is to some extent pursued but to 



840 LOUISIANA. 



greatly interfered with by the burning of grass practiced by the stock- 
raisers. 

The bottom of Pearl river is subject to overflow, but is of great fer- 
tility wherever reclaimed. 

Lumber is rafted down the streams to Pearl Eiver and tide-water. 
The western part of the parish is accessible by the New Orleans and 
Chicago Railroad. 



WEBSTER PARISH. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population : 10,005. White, 4322 ; colored, 5683. 

Area: 612 square miles. Woodland, all. Oak uplands, 430 square 
miles ; alluvial land, Bayou Dorchite, 137 square miles ; Bayou Bodceau, 
45 square miles. 

Tilled land : 42,402 acres. Area planted in cotton, 16,401 acres ; in 
corn, 14,824 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 385 acres ; in sugar cane, 120 acres. 

Cotton production : 6255 bales ; average cotton product per acre, 0.38 
bale, 543 pounds seed cotton, or 181 pounds cotton lint. 

Webster parish, formed since the war from portions of Bienville 
and Bossier, has for its central feature the broad alluvial bottom of 
Bayou Dorchite, which, in its southern portion, is covered by the 
waters of Lake Bisteneau, while in its northwestern portion lies the 
flood plain of Bayou Bodceau, whose channel here divides the parish 
from Bossier. Black Lake bayou forms the parish , line on the south- 
east. 

Between Bayous Bodceau and Dorchite a long level country extends 
from the Arkansas line to Lake Bistineau. This country is variable 
in quality ; some is poor and sandy, covered with a growth of short- 
leaf pine; some white and "crawnshy", putty-like, with a growth of 
dog-wood and post oak, and is little better than the pine lands, while 
other portions, where well drained (as, e. q., near Cotton valley), are 
fine cotton and corn lands. East of the alluvial plain of Bayou Dor- 
chite the country is rolling or hilly, and partly of the "red lands" 
character, partly also level and occupied by the gray soil characteriz- 
ing the pine flats, on which water oak and black gum are prominent. 
This is the case in the country adjoining Lake Bistineau, and on Black 
Lake Bayou. Generally speaking it is a country of small but well 
kept farms. 

(No mention is made any anywhere of the alluvial plains of the two 
bayous, which are doubtless subject to frequent overflows.) 

The communication of Webster parish with the markets is partly 
by land to Shreveport, partly direct, via steamers on Red River and 
Lake Bistineau, to New Orleans. 



WINN PARISH. 

BY PROF. E. W. HILGARD. 

Population : 5846 ; white 4797, colored 1049. 

Area : 970 square miles. Woodland, all but small strips of prairie in 
the central prairie region, covering 30 square miles; long-leaf pine 
hills. 850 square miles ; oak uplands, 90 square miles. 

Tilled land: 22,548 acres. Area planted in cotton, 7379 acres; in 
corn, 8588 acres ; in sweet potatoes, 250 acres ; in sugar cane, 41 acres. 

Cotton production : 3002 bales ; average cotton product per acre, 0.41 
bale, 579 pounds seed cottrm or 193 rounds cotton lint. 



WINN PARISH. $41 



The surface of Winn parish is rolling, rarely hilly, and its greater 
part is covered with long-leaf pine forest, affording a great deal of fine 
timber. Such is especially the case in the western portion ; in the 
eastern, and partiularly to the southward, the long-leaf pine is mainly 
restricted to the upper portions of the ridges, while their flanks have 
a good growth of upland oaks and short-leaf pine. Where this is the 
case we mostly find the dark orange-colored sub soil of the '"red lands" 
underlying the light gray surface soil ; while higher up on the ridges 
the pale-yellow loam is predominent. Hence there is, in the country 
bordering on the Dugdemona Eiver and its large tributaries, a consid- 
erable amount of good farming upland, on which very fair crops of 
cotton and corn are produced. The bottoms, however, are not very 
wide, and being subject to overflow, are as yet but little cultivated. 
Want of easy communication with the outside world, has stood greatly 
in the way of the settlement of this region, whose reputation as a 
farming country is not nearly as good as it deserves to be. A tract of 
true black prairie (Pendarvis' prairie) lies within this parish, in the 
fork of Dugdemona Eiver and Bayou Castor. 

A curious feature of this parish are the salt licks, low flats with salt 
springs, and usually underlaid by limestone (of the cretaceous forma- 
tion), occurring at several points, as Price's lick, Drake's saltworks on 
Saline Bayou, Cedar lick, near Winfield, and others. Of the same 
geological origin is the limestone hill, a few miles west of Winfield, an 
isolated mass of cretaceous limestone, from which excellent lime 
(much needed in the improvement of the pine lands) is made. At 
Louisville, in the northeastern part of the parish, a small tract of 
black prairie is formed by one of these limestone masses approaching 
the surface. 

Cotton is hauled to landings on Bed or Washita Bivers and thence 
goes by steamer to New Orleans. 

ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT OF W. T. JONES, WINFIELD. 

This is a rolling pine country, with some "hog-wallow" prairie. 
Cotton does best in the lowlands, although in good seasons the up- 
lands do well also. The creek bottoms (such as that of Kyiche creek) 
are timbered with lowland oaks, hickory, ash and some walnut. The 
soil is dark-colored, light, easily tilled ; at six inches depth a lighter 
subsoil underlies. Corn, cotton, sugar cane, oats and sweet potatoes 
are grown. Cotton occupies about one-half of the cultivated land ; 
grows from four to six feet high, the higher the better. Draining will 
prevent it from running to weed in wet seasons. The yield per acre 
is 1000 pounds of seed cotton on fresh land ; 1350 pounds required for a 
450-pound bale of lint, which rates well in the market. After fifteen 
years' cultivation this land yields about 800 pounds of seed cotton, the 
staple being about the same. About one-fourth of such land, once 
cultivated, now lies out. 

The pine uplands gully readily on slopes, and serious damage is 
done to them, but none to the lowlands. 

Cotton is hauled from here to landings on the Ouachita river, and 
shipped to New Orleans by boat ; freight $1 So. 



31 




242 LOUISIANA. 



LETTER FROM A GERMAN MINISTER. 



Newport, Kentucky, Nov. 10, 1881. 

W. H. Harris, Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Immigra- 
tion. 
Dear, Sir — With the greatest interest have I seen the more and 
more growing of the welfare of the State of Louisiana. 

I have been myself, some time ago, a citizen of the State, and own 
now a little farm in the parish of St. Landry, which shall be in the 
future time, my home again. 

I always feel sorry when I see untruthful articles published by 
northern railroad agents, representing the climate of the State, as 
unhealthy, and the citizens as unpeaceful. Their purpose is to pre- 
vent a large German immigration to Louisiana from Kansas, Ne- 
braska, Colorado, and other western States and Territories, and to 
sell that fruitless land and fill their pockets. They don't care for the 
interests of the many thousand Germans. If all my countrymen 
would know before what a miserable life they have to live in those 
cold countries, they would not go. 

On my travels as a minister of the Gospel, through many western 
States, I have seen the life of the farming people. The prairies are 
very poor of timber, therefore, many must live in self-made caves, in 
the ground, and suffer for want of fuel in winter. 

In many instances the only mark of these dwellings is a little 
chimney seen above the level ground. 

Very many colored people in the South have better houses. The 
farmers of the West seldom raise a good crop, for it is too dry. No 
wonder that they are poor. 

Many thousands would like to go away if they could afford the 
expenses. How different could many of those people make their 
living in Louisiana with half the work. 

There are places for millions of them, especially in the western 
part of the State which can't be beat. There is a healthy climate, 
good soil, good streams, and plenty timber to build houses and 
fences, also enough grass for large herds of cattle through the whole 
year. 

Many Germans would make their homes in Louisiana, if they only 
knew how mnch better the State is for farming than the northern 
and western states. 

Please use your influence and that the government may publish 
books or tracts about the State, in the German language. It is tes- 
tified through all the country, and that Germans are diligent, hard- 
working people, good farmers and good citizens. The State will 
have the benefit of it. Respectfully, yours, 

H. GELLEBT, 
Pastor of the German Baptist Church, Newport, Kentucky 



TO IMMIGRANTS. S43 



TO IMMIGRANTS. 



The intelligent immigrant will naturally ask: "Why 
have we never heard before of the wonderful climate, 
soil and productions of Louisiana?" We answer, that 
the State Bureau of Immigration was only authorized and 
established by the last session of the Legislature, and 
there has never before been any organized effort to in- 
duce immigrants to come to Louisiana — no glowing ad- 
vertisements by railroads and land companies, for the 
reason that they don't own the public lands. 

Those immigrants who have come to the State have 
acted upon information obtained from general reading, 
friends living here or travelers. We have already nearly 
60,000 foreign born citizens in the State. They have 
found a country in all respects equal to their anticipa- 
tions, and have set up their household gods in free Lou- 
isiana. They think the natural advantages here are suf- 
ficient for those who seek new homes, but they have seen 
the tide of immigration flowing to the Northwest until it 
is rolling back from the dry line and alkaline deserts. 
They have found that the advantages of Louisiana are 
unknown to the world, and even to the people of the 
United States. To furnish the desired information, the 
State Bureau of Immigration has published this book, 
and the statements herein will be found substantially 
correct. The Bureau is not a land agency, and has no 
inducement to mislead or deceive. It is composed of 
State officers who seek to fill the public lands in the State 
with honest and industrious people, who will become 
contented and prosperous citizens, and thus add to the 
wealth of the State. One disappointed settler could do 
much toward discouraging immigration. Recognizing 



2U LOUISIANA. 



this fact, we have endeavored in these pages to repress 
the gorgeous coloring of tropical beauty which abounds 
in Louisiana, that anticipation may fall short of realiza- 
tion. We believe it to be to the interest of the many 
who desire to change their homes to learn of the supe- 
rior advantages which our State affords, and we extend an 
earnest and cordial invitation to all good people to come. 

The foreigners already here have learned that the 
State embraces more elements of wealth than any other 
section, and they invite their brethren of the Old World 
to come. Progress is the watchword of the South. Cap- 
ital is flowing in from the North. Line after line of rail- 
way is laid out and constructed, and others are projected. 
Along their lines, towns and villages spring up, new farms 
are opened .and old fields rehabilitated. Investments 
double in a short time. The farmer who enters a home- 
stead at once enhances the value of lands in the neigh- 
borhood; others follow and values increase. 

A new and bright future is dawning upon this fair land, 
so wonderfully endowed by Providence. 

No other portion of the country shows such active 
progress — the world must have our agricultural products, 
and pays gold for them in our own markets. Thus it is 
that the humble homestead, managed by the industrious 
farmer, soon becomes a fine estate. The toiling thou- 
sands of the more populous States are invited to come 
to Louisiana, where the public domain will afford them 
free homesteads upon which they may establish them- 
selves and secure a competence, The people of the 
South are generous and hospitable, and will give a hearty 
and cheerful welcome to all worthy immigrants. Those 
arriving in New Orleans should go at once to the office 
of the Commissioner of Immigration, which is in the 
State House, situated on St. Louis street, near the Mis- 
sissippi river. The Commissioner will aid and direct 
them in obtaining work or homesteads, or in renting or 
buying land. No fee is charged the immigrant for any 
aid or advice given by the Bureau of Immigration. 



SPRINGTIME IN THE NORTHWEST. 2A8 

TWO PICTURES FOR THE FARMER. 

SPRINGTIME IN THE NORTHWEST. 

[FEOM THE DUBUQUE (IOWA.) HEEALD.] 

Wisner, Neb., March 10, 1881. 

How shall I write of this timberless plain ? The past 
summer was one of sunshine. The present winter has 
been one of tempest. 

Climate makes a country rich and prosperous, or it 
may make it a waste. The weather and climate are one. 
Men speak of the weather just in proportion as they love 
nature. A storm in the great Red River valley is tele- 
graphed to all sections of the country. A heavy frost in 
Kentucky is known the next day in all parts of the world. 
The tobacco crop may have been threatened.* The great 
plain prairie country west of the Missouri is subject to 
weather of violence, and in obedience to law. 

The "blizzard" is a fact, a terrible, perilous fact. Its 
merciless fury has not been confined to Nebraska alone 
this winter, but the entire Northwest has felt its killing, 
devastating touch. As I write human life is safe only 
within doors. During the blizzard of February 12 a 
near neighbor started for his corral in midafternoon; at 
midnight he found himself knocking at the door of a dis- 
tant dugout, still alive, but where he had wandered or 
been driven by the storm he could not tell. It was the 
the 14th instant before the fury of the storm so abated 
as to allow him to return to his home, to find one-half 
of his stock stiff in death. There must be a compensa- 
tion somewhere that induces men to brave such danger. 

The government gives a man a home for planting a 
few trees; the State of Nebraska exempts property from 
taxation to encourage forestry. You who dwell in cities 
and towns know nothing of the wonderful power exerted 
by the winds upon the great plains. The chemist tells 
us that hot water under pressure is the most powerful of 
known solvents; so a snow storm, driven by a fierce wind 
which has gathered mountains in its flight of hundreds 



246 LOUISIANA. 



of miles across a treeless plain, becomes a blizzard before 
which human life is as a toy in the hands of an athlete. 

Nebraska is inferior to Iowa in all things that go to 
make up an agricultural State. Your certain rainfall, 
timber and coal are all in all to a new State. Strange as 
it may appear, the Agricultural Department Report for 
1878 places Nebraska in the front rank as a corn-pro- 
ducing State. John Phoenix's idea of happiness may be 
realized here — 

Corn in the big crib, money in the pocket, 
Baby in the cradle, and a pretty wife to rock it. 

Western Nebraska, like Western Kansas, may produce 
a crop once in a dozen years, and it may not — the 
chances are too much in favor of the blank for a man to 
risk even his pocket change in the venture. The great 
and growing interest here is the grazing business. Grass 
is abundant, water fairly plenty in running streams, and 
easily obtained by digging, and everything seems to favor 
the future of that business, except the winter and the 
blizzard. The present winter has demonstrated the more 
than folly of trying to winter stock in this section outside 
of warm sheds or barns. Gro with me on a day's drive 
among my neighbors. I can point out to you the car- 
casses of cattle, sheep and hogs enough to have built a 
barn for every stock raiser in the country. The inter- 
ested party who represents that stock requires less pro- 
tection here than in Iowa is a falsifier, and "the truth is 
is not in him." Be not misled, you who think of coming 
to Nebraska to engage in the stock business. Come with 
your eyes open, and remember first that cattle require as 
much care and attention here as in Northern Iowa or 
Minnesota. The feeding season is as long, the winter 
more severe, and the weather fully as cold. A hundred 
miles west from here you reach the eastern boundary of 
the range where cattle sometimes winter on buffalo grass. 
The present winter has been a wasting exception. Over 
all that vast range in Nebraska, Dakota. Colorado, Wyo- 
ming and Montana, the grass is under snow and sleet so 



SPRING TIME IN 10 UISIANA. S4 7 

deep that no bovine can reach it. He who counted last 
November "the cattle on a thousand hills as his," is shorn 
of his earthly possessions. The plains and canyons are 

Rich in the bodies of the slain. 

The average loss attending this growing interest, always 
large, has never before taken capital, stock, increase and 
all. As a result, cattle must rule high for a few years to 
come. During the month of January the mercury touched 
40° below zero, and once in February it reached 30° be- 
low. The cold has been stead j^ and has held unbroken 
sway. 

SPRINGTIME IN LOUISIANA. 

The above description, taken from a Western paper, is 
a sad but true picture of this Eldorado of the West — a 
country extolled to the skies by interested persons and 
advertised throughout Europe and America as "a land 
flowicg with milk and hon-ey. 7 ' 

It is truly stated that last winter was unusually severe, 
and there was much suffering throughout the Northwest, 
attended with great loss of live stock, and in some in- 
stances of human life. Transportation was stopped, all 
trains having been blockaded week after week by terrific 
snow storms. This condition of tilings continued last 
winter until the last of March, but trains are liable to be 
"blockaded 77 in ordinary midwinter. 

During the time that the people of the West were suf- 
fering the hardships incident to a community "snowed 
in, 77 the farmers of Louisiana were plowing their corn 
and planting cotton, and cutting winter grass, "knee 
high, 77 for their work animals, while their flocks and herds 
fed abundantly upon the luxuriant wild grasses which 
covered prairie, hillside and common. 

At this time in Louisiana, Nature has awakened from 
her light winter's slumber, and Spring has spread her 
bridal garments over the earth. The orange trees are 
white with blossoms, which blend their perfume with the 
tea olive, magnolia fruscata, yellow jessamin and roses 



248 



LOUISIANA. 



and other sweet shrubs, vines and thousands of flowers. 
The birds have commenced housekeeping, and sing glad 
songs in harmony with all animate creation, to welcome 
the springtime to this lovely land. 

The pictures are truthfully drawn. Our sketch is fin- 
ished, and in behalf of the good citizens of our State we 
extend an earnest invitation to the people of all nations 
and creeds to come and see for themselves 

Louisiana's Products, Resources and Attractions. 




I 



LIBRARY 




